User reviews

Clint Eastwood stars as a former government assassin turned art teacher who is blackmailed into coming out of his retirement to pull off a difficult last job. A former colleague has been murdered. Eastwood will climb the Eiger face and kill the assassin along the way. The only problem is he isn't sure which of the three other climbers is his target.

'The Eiger Sanction' is very much a product of the 1970's, and comes from a difficult grey area of Eastwood's career. He was transitioning between Westerns and Dirty Harry and films like 'The Eiger Sanction' got lost in the mix. On the surface the film is a spy thriller, or a gorgeously shot mountain climbing/survival film. I think it doesn't get enough credit for being very tongue in cheek. It gently pokes fun at both Eastwood and 70's action movies -- Clint giving a female student a playful pat on the rump, the foxy brown flight attendant/girlfriend, and of course "damn that Brando" when Clint's Native American trainer pushes him too hard. Throw in the promiscuity and the way homosexuality is dealt with (rival gay hit-man with the little dog) and the film runs pretty nicely as a satire.

'The Eiger Sanction' is really about the third act though where the climbing takes place. Brilliantly photographed, I didn't find much not to enjoy about this film. Quite possibly the best climbing film that I've ever seen and it is certainly superior to things like 'Cliff Hanger' or 'Vertical Limit' -- which owe a great deal to 'The Eiger Sanction.' Clint Eastwood has acted in better movies and he's directed better movies. That said, this one is an unpolished gem and worth taking a look at if the opportunity arises.

Sort of an Americanized James Bond where government assassin Clint Eastwood travels to different locales fighting killing and boinking (not always in that order). It's got colorful characters, beautiful women, and a cartoon villain that would be right at home in a Roger Moore Bond flick. Gorgeous Vonetta McGee is reason alone to see this. Lots of pretty ladies in this film but she's on a whole other level.

Like most of Eastwood's 70s movies it's got plenty of grit and machismo. Certainly not one for the pearl clutchers. This is also one of those movies where you are reminded of what's missing in so many of today's movies. No I'm not talking about the politically incorrect stuff. That's another conversation. I'm talking about things like pacing and stuntwork and filming on location even if it might be slightly dangerous. Everything is faster and faker and more sanitized now. But I'll get off my soapbox before I start printing pamphlets. In closing, The Eiger Sanction is far from Eastwood's best but it is a good watch. Also I really love that jeep.

As a die-hard Clint Eastwood fan you've probably seen this spy/action/thriller already, but for those who only now discover the work of this great director/actor, check it out - it's well worth it.

This film was made in the mid-seventies and it shows in every frame. The decidedly non-political correctness in the scenes with the obviously gay guy, portrayed by Jack Cassidy (whose lapdog is appropriately named "faggot" and has a hilarious scene humping Eastwood's leg); with the Indian girl (Eastwoods laconic snarl "Screw Marlon Brando" is unforgettable); with the "black chick" (says Eastwood to the Afro-American actress Vonetta McGee) might turn off some of today's viewers or bring the film on the map for viewers who have grown up with Rap Music and consider the occasional four-letter word in "8 Mile" already daring.

The story itself is not really important (a classic spy/action thriller with a twist) but the camera direction is superb and Eastwood's well-known love for Jazz music seaps through occasionally. Today's movies are called movies for a reason - they are no longer "films" (like this one), where time is taken to tell a story and explore it in its own leisure fashion.

This movie is highly unusual and possibly even unique in Clint Eastwood's career, either as actor or director.

In "The Eiger Sanction" he plays Dr. Jonathan Hemlock, a character completely unlike any other he has played. Dr. Hemlock is, in fact, the very antithesis of the typical Eastwood character.

Although he hides a secret past, Hemlock displays a highly cultured knowledge of fine art and jazz in both his professional and personal life. He possesses as highly refined a taste for beautiful women as he does for the most beautiful works of art.

Eastwood is both a philosopher and a lover in this film. He is also a humorist. But there are no glib one-liners here. In fact, this one film probably contains more dialogue for Eastwood than he has done for any other character he has played in his career.

Eastwood is the quintessential strong, silent type. As anyone knows who has seen him as a gunfighter hero, whether in the Old West or in the big city. In "The Eiger Sanction," he is a different kind of gun- fighter. His character is not drawn on the swift, total retribution exacted by the Man with No Name. Instead, it is drawn on the suave, debonair charm of James Bond. Jonathan Hemlock possesses the same cultural refinement and cosmopolitanism that the Bond character does. In fact, Hemlock and Bond are at work and at home in the same element: international espionage.

I suspect this is why the casual fan of Clint Eastwood typically detests this movie. Clint Eastwood appears to be miscast. But I'd say he pulls it off admirably, showing the viewer a side of himself which is rarely seen and exhibiting his versatility as an actor.

The story itself is better than average and the movie rates two and one half stars.

Let's face it, folks, either you go for Clint Eastwood's kind of almost pure machismo (or whatever comes closest to him as a living, walking bad-ass), or you feel unnerved or turned off or just tune in for a few minutes here and there. I go for it, as it's one of those things that makes Clint what he is; he's intelligent about being a star, as his figure and persona are rarely changed much, so there's a consistency (Jack Nicholson may be a more versatile actor, maybe even better overall in his craft, but he'd have to go in a steel cage with Eastwood to see who'd be the best 70s star). The Eiger Sanction isn't any great shakes as compared to Clint at his best in the 70s- it's no High Plains Drifter or Dirty Harry or even Play Misty for Me- but it's a helluva lot of fun, and probably one of the better pictures done on the danger of mountain climbing.

Is the plot generic? Yes and no. Yes because we have seen this many times, with the ex-assassin pulled in for one more job and then finding a way to secure his retirement package with the deal and with not-surprisingly exciting (or sometimes not exciting) results. And yes, we've seen stuff like the guy's "girl" who comes in and plays a role, more or less, as the voice of reason, in this case Jemimma Black (yes, the name is basically blaxsploitation in mainstream clothing). Hell, there's even the doggone twist (yes, there's a doggone here) about who the killer actually is, and it's the sort that is handled this time with some degree of interest not so much in how it's revealed but what's done with it by the actors and the outcome of the climb.

But there's a lot more wit and fun in the script than one might give Eastwood and his writers credit for. It's tailor-made for someone like Clint, who plays this 'Doctor' of assassin time turned art history like it's nothing. He probably doesn't have much difference here in term of delivery of lines or sarcasm or the knack for beating the crap of the bad dude at the nick of time than Dirty Harry. Which is just as well; we need an anchor with the plot's likely pit-falls, with co-star Kennedy the only normal one among the possibly shifty characters (save for whoever plays Dragon, which is also filmed appropriately creepy and near originally). And it's the combo of humor ("Screw Marlon Brando!") and the suspense that arrives in that final act on the Eiger that makes the picture work. It's not entirely superbly directed- you can tell Eastwood is still working his way through doing certain techniques and frankly can't film a love scene at all- but for what it's worth, it's good, under-looked stuff in the cannon, perfect for a 'sick day' viewing. 7.5/10

I love this movie, Like Play Misty For Me this is a different kind of Clint Eastwood movie which is not a western or a cop movie. This is an espionage thriller with a surprise ending. He plays an assassin who comes out of retirement to avenge the death of his friend. In order to catch the unidentified killer he must participate in a mountain climbing expedition which the killer is also participating. Clint really took a big chance while making this movie. He did all the dangerous mountain climbing stunts. If I was directing and starring in a movie I wouldn't do a stunt that is dangerous. I urge Clint Eastwood fans to watch this movie, they won't be disappointed.

I heard a lot of mixed reviews on this film, but I saw it anyway. And to tell you the truth, I quite liked it. It isn't Clint Eastwood's best film by a long-shot, but it is far from his worst either. It is sluggishly paced, it is routine in the story in places and the villains are to say the least very strange and over-the-top. However, the cinematography and editing are very good and do justice to the amazing scenery and backgrounds. John Williams's score while not his best is excellent, and there is some decent dialogue and direction. The acting is good enough, Eastwood is not exactly on top-form but to be honest his role doesn't really require that. The real joys are George Kennedy, who I actually think gives one of his better performances here, and Thayor David whose character is over-the-top but David is quite enjoyable. Overall, it is good, better than I was expecting. Maybe not a Clint Eastwood classic, but definitely worth the look. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Can't say there is much to give credit for with The Eiger Sanction. Except for John Williams great soundtrack. Absolutely love it and trying hard to unknow the movie it was composed for. The story is a ludicrous, over the top parody of a spy thriller, with an endless number of irrelevant and largely unlikeable characters, some farfetched plot twists and Eastwood ruining what's left with his disgusting machismo. But the climbing scenes! Really? By the time we get there, the boredom is so overwhelming that nothing can rescue this train wreck. Forgotten for good reason. Because it is forgettable.

I absolutely love this movie. The only reason I cannot give it a 9 or 10 is because the premise is just a bit too unbelievable. Eastwood is a stud for doing his own stunts. The climbing sequences had a few minor errors, but all considered, the most accurate movie adaptation of climbing with the possible exception of "Storm and Sorrow". I felt like I was there with the climbers, cold and scared and forced to continue. The dialogue on the mountain is "rock" solid.

If you're looking for a well-developed action flick with a dash of spy stuff, watch this movie. Eastwood has done so many great movies that it's hard to rank this one- it's not his best, but it is wonderful.

Jonathan Hemlock (Clint Eastwood) is an art history professor, expert mountaineer and a former government assassin who performed "sanctions" for C2. He abhors the public seeing and not appreciating great pieces of art. He uses his fees to amass a high end collection. His albino ex-Nazi blood-transfusing former boss Dragon coerces him into taking out two men who killed agent Wormwood who turns out to be his friend who once saved his life. After killing the first man, the second man is found to be part of an international mountaineering team climbing the north face of Eiger in Switzerland. It's up to Hemlock to discover his identity. He gets back in shape with his friend Ben Bowman (George Kennedy) who guides him on the climb.

I can't really describe properly the large amount of stupidity in this Bondlike thriller. The dialog is pretty bad. The Dragon is laughable. Hemlock isn't cool but is a weird combo. I keep thinking Dirty Harry has become an elitist art expert and mountain climber. It's weird. There's an unnecessary side trip with a faggot villain. That whole section should be cut out and he should get to the mountain as soon as possible. At least, there are some good vertigo-inducing picturesque climbing scenes.

Shot on location in the Alps and Zion National Park, the cinematography is first class. This is great large-screen fare.

While not without their hokey apects, the many climbing scenes and story are much more realistic than those of "K2", "Clifhanger", or God-help-us "Vertical Limit".

The spy part of the story certainly has some plot holes, and I purchased a copy of "The Eiger Sanction" by Trevanian just to get some of them straightened out, and got quite a surprise. The movie is much, much more faithful to the original book than the vast majority of Hollywood adaptations. Those holes in the story - well, they're right there in the book, too. Practically the only significant differences between the two are the relationship between Johathon and Wormwood, the final status of Johnathon and Jemima's relationship, and the fact that C2 is - in the novel - so totally inept as an intelligence organization as to be completely unbeliveable, this is somewhat glossed over in the movie. Frankly the differences in all three situations are argueably done better in the movie.

(Flash Review)

Eastwood is a retired government hitman who gets lured by a man named Dragon to avenge the murder of a former colleague or a Dragon will spill the beans of his questionably acquired art collection. The job must take place on the challenging mountain Eiger Sanction as the man needing elimination will be located here. Not knowing that man's visual identity, Eastwood and others must also identify the man before taking him out. So Eastwood spends lots of time brushing up on his advanced climbing skills before embarking on this one last job. Also, as a 'hit-man' he is often 'hit-on' by several woman. Ha. Mix in a few story twists and you have a nice scenic action movie.

Wonderfully photographed story dealing with betrayal , secret agents action , greed and killings . A classical art professor and collector called Jonathan (Clint Eastwood went on a three-day climbing course in Yosemite National Park, then practiced at home for several months) , Hamlock (it is a venom , no less) who doubles as a professional assassin, is coerced out of retirement to avenge the murder of an old friend . He is assigned by Dragon (Thayer David) to discover a killer during a dangerous mountain climbing (in which Clint Eastwood preformed the sequence where his character hangs off the side of a mountain by a cable himself without the use of a stunt doublé) . Meanwhile , a treacherous , gay spy (Jack Cassidy) deceives Hamlock , but the latter seeks vengeance . The premise is the following : one of his team is a killer but who?

This thrilling film has suspense , noisy action , outrageously overblown roles , tension and extraordinary climbing images . Beautiful Swiss Alps scenery falls to partially compensate for several dreary lapses , faults , ungodly length (128 minutes) and script's shortcomings . Based on novel by Trevanian , though novelist Rod Whitaker (Trevanian) scorned the film as "vapid" and blamed the production for "the death of a promising young climber" . The shoot marked the last time that anyone was allowed to climb the "Totem Pole" in Monument Valley , in return for permission to film there, climbers with the production had to remove all of the pitons, which had accumulated from years of climbing, on their way down. Exciting final climax does not make up for movies's various gaps and flaws . Clint is pretty good as a college professor by day and superagent by night sent to expose a murderer during a risked mountain climb . Clint Eastwood did all of his own stunts, including the scene where he cuts his safety line over a drop of at least one thousand feet ; the only stunt he did not perform was a 2500-foot drop, for which a dummy was used . He is well accompanied by George Kennedy because of the friendship that they had formed on their previous picture, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974). Good as well as international support cast playing brief interpretations and with silly names , such as Vonetta McGee , Jack Cassidy , Heidi Brühl , Thayer David , Reiner Schöne and special mention to Gregory Walcott as Pope . Very real climbing images as well as perfectly staged scenes , being marvelously photographed in Panavisión by Frank Stanley , he fills the screen with excitement and suspense ; showing outrageously mountain outdoors . Atmospheric and evocative musical score by the great John Williams , pre-Spielberg collaboration .

This pseudo-James Bond flick was professionally directed by Clint Eastwood , though being overlong and contains some faults . Filmmaker Eastwood better known for his ¨Dirty Harry¨ series such as : The enforcers , Sudden impact , Deed pool ; he subsequently directed his overtly personal movies such as Unforgiven , The Bridges of Madison County , Mystic River , Million Dollar Baby , Changeling and Gran Torino . The Eiger sanction results to be one of just a handful of Clint Eastwood movies in the spy / espionage genre , the films include Firefox (1982), Absolute power (1997 , and Open fire (1993) . Here Eastwood contribute to create an acceptable film , plenty of opportunities for Clint to strut his climbing skills , it's all in good fun and often unintentionally funny .

This is almost like a Bond movie: beautiful women, crazy and somehow scarred villain, great fight scenes, INCREDIBLE climbing scenes, stylish costumes and luxurious locations. You want to see Eastwood as a bespectacled professor who is actually a spy. Why he needs to climb some mountain now escapes me, but I watch spy movies for all of the above reasons. When he climbs that Totem Pole FOR REAL, I'm almost about to faint FOR REAL. I love the scenery and how well the costumes match the scenery. Thanks to this movie, I learned about Brenda Venus. So, I would say the casting is great, too. I love all the sexist/racist slurs that actually poke fun at sexism/racism. No one would dare do that today. Or climb the Totem Pole FOR REAL.

This was the third movie Eastwood directed, and he also has the lead role. Clint does his classic principled sociopath bit, as an art history professor who is also the unwilling top assassin of a spy organization that somewhat resembles the CIA. Based on a novel by Trevanian, who wrote tongue in cheek thrillers that most readers took seriously. Keep an eye out for the suave gay character who has a dog named Faggot. Seriously, you can't make stuff like that up - well, somebody did. The silly story requires Clint to climb a dangerous mountain in the Alps, with an eye to discovering a traitor/spy in his entourage. The real star of this thriller is the aerial cinematography that captures some mountaineers in action, with Clint apparently doing some of his own stunts. It is memorable, that is for sure.

There is a thin line between the sort of unreality in the Bond movies of the era and that in this mish mash of sex and adventure. The film obviously was trying to capitalize on the Bond mania of the mid seventies with spooky bad guys, sexy bad girls, mysterious bad organizations and complicated bad motives. In short, it isn't very good. The average Bugs Bunny cartoon is less far fetched. There is some spectacular scenery and some dramatic mountaineering. But it's too long, too preposterous and too badly written and acted to make it worthwhile. If you want to assassinate somebody --- or "sanction" them --- is it really necessary to go mountain climbing with them. But then, if you didn't, the movie would last 15 minutes rather than almost two and a half hours. (Besidses, Clint Eastwood was never that young, was he?)

Dr. Jonathan Hemlock is a professor of art and expert mountaineer.He's also a long retired government assassin.There are two more "sanctions", or assassinations waiting for him.His boss, Dragon, an albinistic ex-Nazi who's kept alive by blood transfusions wants Hemlock to sanction two men responsible for the death of another government agent.He takes the job after he finds out the killed agent was his friend.His second target is an international climbing team about to ascend the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland.He must kill one of the mountain climbers, but it's not knows which one.Hemlock trains in Arizona at a mountain resort run by a friend, Ben Bowman.To get in shape, he must take lessons from a Native American woman called George.There's also another woman involved, an agency courier called Jemina Brown.She's used to seduce and betray Hemlock.The Eiger Sanction (1975) is a Clint Eastwood thriller.It's based on Rod Whitaker's novel.Eastwood also plays the lead, and he does a great job.George Kennedy acts with Clint for the second time playing Ben Bowman.Vonetta McGee plays Jemina Brown.Jack Cassidy is an enemy called Miles Mellough.Heidi Brühl is Mrs. Anna Montaigne.Thayer David portrays Dragon.Climbers Karl Freytag and Anderl Meyer are portrayed by Reiner Schöne and Michael Grimm.Brenda Venus is George.Gregory Walcott, known from four Eastwood films, portrays Pope.There are pretty many thrilling moments in this movie, especially at the Swiss Alps.There's the fear of falling down the mountain.It's quite funny when Jonathan trains with George at the Monument Valley.When he feels he can't go on anymore, George shows him her boobs.It's amazing to know that Eastwood did his own stunts.So it's Clint you see climbing up the mountain, not some stuntman.Not the very best Eastwood, but still a nice ride.

First off I have to say that the best thing about this film is the Main Theme that John Williams wrote for it. Though it only appears in the opening credits and is pretty much ignored until the final credits.

It is full of completly irrelevant crap. The Chief of C2 has some weird disease and a good few lines are given over to explaining about it even though it has no effect on the plot. There are so many scenes which have no point to them except to distract you from the absence of a decent plot. It ended up being a spot the clichéd plot device game when my friend and I watched it.

I felt that Clint Eastwood was possibly the worst person for this part. At no point can you believe that he is an art professor. He never really manifests any acedamic quality. Too Dirty-Harry like for my taste.