Where Eagles Dare

Starring: Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood
Director: Brian Hutton
Genre: Action
Year: 1969
Rating: 4 / 5

It may be difficult to fathom such a concept now, but there was a time when Clint Eastwood was not a star. Though he first gained notoriety on Rawhide in the late 1950s, Eastwood was still a relative up-and-comer by the end of the following decade. The acclaimed actor-director had ventured to Italy to film his three famous Sergio Leone "spaghetti westerns" - A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. After the release of these three films in America, Eastwood gained a rather large cult following, so ample that he was tapped to star alongside Richard Burton in 1969's Where Eagles Dare. Together, these two noted actors produced one spectacular visual feast.

An Allied plane has been shot down behind German lines, leading to the capture of a high-ranking American general (Robert Beatty). This general knows information about Allied offensives, making it imperative that he not be allowed to talk to the Germans. Enter Major John Smith (Richard Burton), a noted British officer who is rumored to have some shady allegiances. Major Smith must lead a crack commando team into Germany to the Castle of Eagles, a seemingly impenetrable fortress where the Nazis are likely hiding the American general. If Smith's team is unable to reach him, the entire course of the war could be altered for the worse.

Complicating matters is the fact that there appears to a well-placed informant within the British intelligence organization. As the trip begins and bodies start piling up, it becomes quite clear that Major Smith can only trust one man in his group - an American lieutenant named Morris Schaffer (Clint Eastwood). Everyone else is under suspicion, leading Smith and Schaffer to enlist the help of the major's longtime ally, Mary Ellison (Mary Ure). They must infiltrate this mountaintop castle, free General Carnaby, and escape Germany. Traitors, thousands of Nazis, and some perilous cable car acrobatics are all that stand in their way.

Writer Alistair MacLean has penned a masterful action yarn, filled with just the right amount of suspense. Even more impressive are the films two stars, Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. Burton's Major Smith is quick-thinking, calculating, and downright crafty, and the actor plays it to the hilt. Eastwood is actually somewhat subdued in his supporting role, but his trademark persona is still on display at all the key moments. The film features a fast-moving story, including a plot that is carefully revealed throughout the film. The action is first-rate, including some stunning sequences involving Richard Burton and a descending cable car. Where Eagles Dare is a tension-filled ride, with World War II as a backdrop, that thrills from start to finish, and this film buff would not have it any other way.

Certification: Rated PG.
Running Time: 148 minutes.

Additional Info: Internet Movie Database
Comments: Send E-mail