The Eiger Sanction (1975)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Clint Eastwood

Writers:

Rod Whitaker (novel)
Hal Dresner (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 May 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

HIS LIFELINE - held by the assassin he hunted.

Plot:

An classical art professor and collector, who doubles as a professional assassin, is coerced out of retirement to avenge the murder of an old friend.

Plot Keywords:

Art | Mountain | Mountain Climbing | Professional Assassin | Climbing

Cast

Clint Eastwood	...	Dr. Jonathan Hemlock
George Kennedy	...	Ben Bowman
Vonetta McGee	...	Jemima Brown
Jack Cassidy	...	Miles Mellough
Heidi Brühl	...	Mrs. Anna Montaigne
Thayer David	...	Dragon
Reiner Schöne	...	Karl Freytag (as Reiner Schoene)
Michael Grimm	...	Anderl Meyer
Jean-Pierre Bernard	...	Jean-Paul Montaigne
Brenda Venus	...	George
Gregory Walcott	...	Pope
Candice Rialson	...	Art Student
Elaine Shore	...	Miss Cerberus
Dan Howard	...	Dewayne
Jack Kosslyn	...	Reporter

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:AA (original rating) | Australia:M | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Brazil:14 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1975) | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Carmel, California, USA

Company:

Jennings Lang

Trivia:

Two custom 1975 Ford Broncos were specially built for this film, the one used in filming and a support vehicle, similar to the film truck but with a powerful winch and a much better sound system. The support truck is privately owned, while the film truck's fate is a mystery.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Hemlock meets Dragon, Dragon's right contact lens has moved to the bottom right of his eye in one shot.

Quotes:

[Hemlock saves Meier from falling off the mountain]
Anderl Meier: You're very good. I have really enjoyed climbing with you.
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock: We'll make it.
Anderl Meier: I don't think so. But we shall continue with style.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Empire of Dreams: The Story of the 'Star Wars' Trilogy (2004) (TV)

Meet you at the top.

Jonathan Hemlock a retired government agency assassin is now teaching and collecting fine arts, but that changes when he's forced back onto the job by he's old boss Dragon. His offered two cases, but only takes the first. Two agents stole plans for a gem warfare device and his job is to take them out. After completing it he's blackmailed into the second one, which he learns that one of his good friend Henri Bach was murdered. This second assignment involves Hemlock climbing the Eiger with three other climbers, who one happens to be the assassin who killed Bach.

Should I be taking this as a joke? Because I find it hard to see it as a serious piece. Yeah, I guess it's an in-joke with sledgehammer subtly. You seem get that parody type of feel from this Clint Eastwood espionage spy thriller. While, it's not one of his greatest. It didn't come up completely short and made for passable macho entertainment. Even if the comic material is completely silly and overblown. Maybe it's supposed to be, but it didn't always come off with some implausible details showing up the script but it was mindlessly amusing nonetheless. Everything plays secondary to the inspired location choices and Eastwood's spectacularly random stunt work, which both are a marvel to view. There's an overwhelming sense of danger and isolation as the camera goes from lofty long shots to zoom right in on Eastwood climbing away. The interestingly campy premise is adapted off Rod Whitaker's novel and Hal Dresner's calculated screenplay basically glazes over it with colourfully quick-draw and testosterone laced dialogues. There's crude remarks aplenty. The stereotypical story can get intriguing when it unfolds. Thanks mainly to the lively performances, but slack pacing causes some slow blotches of tedium. Eastwood stars in the lead role, but also directed. The direction was just too conventional and clunky to hold the excitement throughout the feature. Despite professionally bravura camera-work that framed the hypnotically sublime backdrop flawlessly and a few intensely exhilarating passages. The problem was it never seems to get going for long and the resolution for whole adventure feels anticlimactic... on purpose though? John Williams' score has very little effect, but keeps to that earthly hardy feel. Eastwood's performance is fine and his stoically sweet talking persona makes for a fun viewing. George Kennedy is entertainingly burly as Hemlock's friend and former climbing pal. An over-exaggerated Jack Cassidy is outstandingly flamboyant and Veronica McGee plays the effusively token love interest. Thayer David hams it up the albino Dragon and Gregory Walcott is Dragon's arrogantly pig-head agent Pope.

Absorbing scenic views, laudable action stunts and animated acting takes care of the off-kilter, but highly strained material and rugged pacing. Enjoy the sight seeing!