WHERE EAGLES DARE (1968 dir. Brian G. Hutton)
Why I watched it/Why I liked it:
So going back to the fact we're into the Clint Eastwood boxset, this is actually the first film in the said boxset. You see, it goes chronologically through Clint's selection of movies and this box is doubled with another fairly famous Clint war movie.
I do like a good war film but obviously, you sort of need to be in the mood to watch them. Unlike say the easier light-hearted war action romps where the allies look every bit the hero and the axis look like incompetent boobs.
This is more of a war espionage thriller, written by Alistair MacLean, of just two men, Rich and Clint sent to infiltrate the evil Nazi castle and get their man out before he can be interrogated by the devils.
A constant favourite of my best buddy, Ross, the boxset was my first endeavour into this film and it was a hell of a way to kick off the boxset. It's one of those great movies where the action never lets up and you get that suck your breath in craziness when mental stuntmen of the time do crazy stunts during the film.
Oh and there's a mental scene where Clint just keeps shooting Nazis until they actually pile one on top of the other. It's quite cathartic in a way.
If I think it'll stay in the collection:
Again, not taking into account that this is a giant Clint boxset and it's pretty impossible to resell the thing with films missing in it, "Where Eagles Dare" is a cracking little war film that clearly sets out who the bad guys and good guys are from the off and it tells a clear story with lashings of action and spent bullet casings.
The review:
Well, that certainly was a non-stop thrill ride, I'd certainly forgotten a lot of elements within it.
For one, one of the main plot points is the fact a suspected mole is within the mission so it isn't just Dick and Clint going at it but a small team of men. I just obviously remembered Mr Eastwood and Mr Burton being some of the last men standing.
The plot is fantastic, it twists and turns and I'm not kidding when I feel it would have made for a perfect video game. The stunt sequence are insane in some instances. I actually suffer from acrophobia, the fear of heights, so my heart rate starts racing when some of those cable car scenes get going, with subsequent shots showing how far down it is.
There's little bonus things that I got out of it too like the mission being given to them by PADDINGTON BEAR no less. Well the voice of Paddington, from the original British shorts, not Ben Whishaw, that would be bending time and space.
It is absolutely gripping to watch Burton and Eastwood plot their route, plan their hopeful escape and tackle any German that gets in their way. For any action junkie, this ticks the right boxes, explosions galore and a body count that would probably make a Schwarzenegger film blush.
Well, I'll be darned...
If there are any faults with the film, they are as follows. You do need to be paying attention at times. I remember the first time I watched this, I got a bit lost during the interrogation scene, this time it all made sense as I didn't have a wandering eye. Also personally, I would have switched Mary Ure's imaginatively named Mary, with Ingrid Pitt's Heidi, just as I found Heidi a bit easier on the eyes and buxomer.
Should it stay or should it go?
Despite a weighty 155 minute run time, "Where Eagles Dare" doesn't feel that lengthy at all. For those looking for a great piece of WWII thriller, this is a nice piece of cinema to unwind with. Fully enjoyed revisiting this one and it gets a tasty 8.5 out of 10 from me.
Next time we change the pace a little bit with one of the few romantic comedies I own.
Until next time, I remain,
Matt Major.
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