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The Eiger Sanction (1975)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
21 May 1975 (USA)
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Tagline:
HIS LIFELINE - held by the assassin he hunted. more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
When Dirty Harry Got "Busted"
(From CinemaRetro. 23 November 2009, 2:15 AM, PST)
Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Venture Bros.: 3rd Season’ Continues to Rock in HD
(From HollywoodChicago.com. 23 March 2009, 11:29 AM, PDT)
(From CinemaRetro. 23 November 2009, 2:15 AM, PST)
Blu-Ray Review: ‘The Venture Bros.: 3rd Season’ Continues to Rock in HD
(From HollywoodChicago.com. 23 March 2009, 11:29 AM, PDT)
User Reviews:
Great climbing sequences make this hidden gem worth watching!
more (55 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
123 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
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:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Many of the names of characters were originally inside jokes; for example, in the novel the full name of the character 'Dragon' is 'Urassis Dragon' ("Your Ass is dragging"). Also, Hemlock (the name of the assassin) is a poison.
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Goofs:
Miscellaneous: When Hemlock shows Jemima the photo of Miles Mellough, Henri Bach and himself, two of the three have the flashes on their berets upside-down.
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Quotes:
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock:
Are you busy this evening?
Art Student: No.
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock: You live alone?
Art Student: My roommate's gone for the week.
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock: Good. Then... go on home, break out the books and study your little ass off. That's the best way to maintain a "B" average. Dont't study it all off.
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Art Student: No.
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock: You live alone?
Art Student: My roommate's gone for the week.
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock: Good. Then... go on home, break out the books and study your little ass off. That's the best way to maintain a "B" average. Dont't study it all off.
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in Horror Business (2005) (V)
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FAQ
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.more (55 total)
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Eiger Sanction (1975)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| Did anyone else sense the GAYness? | lancekoz |
| Incest | daiichi |
| Hemlock: some lousy killer | hummer-w |
| Rape??? | magellan333 |
| Influential | wise king |
| The car - the challenge | neil-park |
Recommendations
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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.