The Eiger Sanction

Strong start, limp finish. I enjoyed the spy elements to <em>'The Eiger Sanction'</em>, sure it's a bit cheesy and could feel like a <a href="https://letterboxd.com/films/in/james-bond-collection/by/release-earliest/size/large/" rel="nofollow">Bond</a> knock-off in parts, but all in all it was cool to see Clint Eastwood in that role. Unfortunately, while I wouldn't say it's bad, the rest of the film focuses on uninteresting - due to how dragged out it is - mountain climbing. It concludes with strong vibes of 1959's <em>'<a href="https://letterboxd.com/film/third-man-on-the-mountain/" rel="nofollow">Third Man on the Mountain</a>'</em>, a Disney film that is filled with mountain climbing. Like that aforementioned production, I didn't dislike what I was seeing but it's just not that intriguing to watch for an extended time. I'm rating this 3* as it's still a solid film, with neat cinematography, but it could've been so much more due to what it sets up initially.

First things first - remember that when this was made, script writers were not noted for much delicacy when it came to the use of some of the more pejorative of descriptors. At times, indeed, the dialogue is positively puerile. Clint Eastwood is an art professor with quite a collection amassed from funds he received from his career as an "official" hit man. His erstwhile boss - the albino "Mr Dragon" coaxes him out of retirement with a large sum of money and the promise that he will get to avenge the death of his old pal. As the title suggests, it has a mountaineering theme as he and his friend "Ben" (George Kennedy) try to find out which member of a climbing team up the Eiger is the culprit. It all takes way too long to get going, this film - and aside from the aforementioned brushes with stereotyping that makes early "James Bond" films look enlightened, there really isn't enough going on. There is some effective altitude photography as they climb, and some sense of peril does creep in towards the end, but for the most part it's all just a little bit wordy and flat.

Pretty slow espionage thriller that does features solid rock climbing sequences but the story is rather thin and never quite bought Eastwood in the role. Watchable I guess but one of his lesser movies. **2.75/5**