Jonathan Hemlock is an art history professor and collector who finances his hobby by performing the odd sanction (assassination) for an obscure government bureau. He is forced to take a case where he must find out which of the members of a mountain climbing team is the Russian killer he has been given as a target by joining an expedition to climb the treacherous Eiger. Written by

Plot Synopsis:
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Dr. Jonathan Hemlock (Clint Eastwood) is a college Art professor whose former life as an international assassin comes back to haunt him when a ruthless leader of a secret agency called C-2, Dragon (Thayer David) pulls him back into action. Hemlock is given a large amount of money and security for his priceless collection of original paintings, but when he is double-crossed by government agent Jemima Brown (Vonetta McGee) and discovers a loyal Army friend of his has been murdered, he agrees to go to Switzerland to kill a secret agent that he has been told is one of a team who will attempt to climb Eiger Mountain. Knowing that he needs to be coached for such a climb Hemlock looks up his old friend Ben Bowman (George Kennedy) who trains him for the climb. During his training he is visited by traitor Miles Mellough (Jack Cassidy) who informs Hemlock that the murderer may be closer than he thinks. Once in Switzerland Hemlock starts the climb with a group of younger climbers and suspects each as the possible killer he is seeking, but when they meet with heavy snows on the mountain top and encounter a series of problems Hemlock struggles to save his life and those of his team.

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bogdanovich from Germany
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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.

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James Christopher Wierzbicki (filmbuff-31) from Salida, California, U.S.A.
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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.

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obatuyio (obatuyio@hotmail.com) from Lagos, Nigeria
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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.

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A_Roode from Halifax, Nova Scotia
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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.

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cavinfool from Kentucky
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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.

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dylan-ransom from South Korea
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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.

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Scarecrow-88 from United States
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I was anxious to see if Clint Eastwood's The Eiger Sanction was as bad as I had always read, whether it was one long bore which worked well as a sedative. I was surprised at how entertained I was despite the fact that it was all means to an end. The spy story itself wasn't exactly mindblowing or extraordinary, but the exhilarating mountain climbing finale (..and the training portion as Eastwood's agent prepares for the big climb up the Eiger), to me, was well worth sitting through the weaker aspects of the film.

The movie is really a tale of three halves. The opening sets up why Eastwood's art professor, whose past life was that of a hired assassin, will be scaling a massive mountain he has failed to climb twice previous, the middle shows his Dr. Jonathan Hemlock training under old pal Ben Bowman(George Kennedy, a delight and wonderful support to the film, I thought)getting ready for his date with destiny, and the final thirty minutes moving up, and down, the Eiger, with three other professional climbers.

I think the viewer can look at the film in two ways. As a spy movie, it just doesn't cut the mustard(..although, I must admit that I found the twist amusing, regarding the revelation of the identity behind who might've been responsible for the death of Hemlock's former associate, an act of betrayal to our country, helping hand over germ warfare microfilm "to the other side")for Eastwood is realistic holding a magnum as a San Fran detective or a pistol as a gunslinger staring down opposition, but he's not James Bond..the deliberate, leisure pace defies the rapid pace that the James Bond movies are known for. I think that's why the story plays second fiddle to the action sequences which are far more exciting and awe-inspiring. The camera-work / cinematography is first-rate, exceptional in particular once Eastwood is climbing up mountains, whether in breathtaking Arizona or Switzerland locations.

I think if you look at it as an adventure, one will probably consider it one of the greatest mountain climbing movies of all time, the precursor to Renny Harlin's Cliffhanger and Martin Campbell's Vertical Limit. Eastwood's insistence on doing his own stunts enhances the climbing sequences, adding a realism that is to be admired.

The cast is rather fascinating. Eastwood doesn't really stretch his acting muscles, but Kennedy is quite engaging as his buddy, while Jack Cassidy steals the film as the flamboyant homosexual Benedit Arnold traitor who Hemlock plans to kill when the time is right. Gregory Walcott is Eastwood's foil, as agent Pope, often embarrassed and humiliated by Hemlock, when he assaults him. Thayer David has a strange role as Hemlock's sickly Albino governmental charge, Dragon, blackmailing him into finding the traitorous rogue responsible for the murder of a former field colleague. Vonetta McGee is Jemima Brown, a "patriotic whore" who works for Dragon, falling in love with Hemlock in an interesting interracial love affair. I think it's all about what you enter the film expecting from it. If you looking for phenomenal mountain climbing sequences, this delivers the goods, but I suggest searching elsewhere for a strong spy story..if you want both, try For Your Eyes Only.

The incredible difficulty for shooting the scenes up the Eiger at the end shows and you can tell Eastwood took great strides getting the most out of the setting. As the four climbers make their way up, I enjoyed how the young lead climber pokes and jabs at Hemlock for his failure to successfully scale the Eiger because this ridicule will come back to haunt him when a decision to continue despite evidence of potential disaster leads to devastating consequences.

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MisterWhiplash from United States
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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

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Mika Pykalaaho (bygis80@hotmail.com) from Järvenpää, Finland
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The fourth movie Clint Eastwood directed was called "The Eiger sanction". Man had already practiced directing with a fabulous jealousy thriller "Play Misty for me", eccentric western "High plains drifter" and "Breezy" - his first film only behind the camera. "The Eiger sanction" is definitely a fine, entertaining and effective classic, no doubt, but it has never been Clint's most memorable movies. It usually lefts unmentioned in all of the documentaries about the man and people don't usually consider it to be all that important work when it comes to his long and sensational career. I just bought the Dvd and all I can say is these facts don't make it a bad film, hell no. "The Eiger sanction" most definitely works, but I guess it especially works if you're a true Eastwood fan. I am so I guess it's hell of a lot easier to love it. "The Eiger sanction" is a little slow-paced thriller but the idea is interesting enough to make the film exciting and stylish. John Williams composed the fabulous score and Clint himself did lot of the mountain climbing stunts. It's also true that "The Eiger sanction" really has that tiny James Bond -feeling in it. All I can say is, watch the film if you get your chance to do so.

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psagray from Spain
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"Jonathan Hemlock" (Clint Eastwood) is a professor of art history, which previously led a dangerous double life as a murderer in the pay for a secret international organization. However, now is blackmailed into carrying out one last mission: the victim is one of three people attempting the ascent of the Eiger, a dangerous peak in the Swiss Alps.

Clint Eastwood works well in front of and behind the camera in this great action thriller, full of interesting dialogue, as well as excellent climbing action scenes in which Eastwood himself constantly had to face death (and it had cost the life of one of the specialists).

The film has a superb background music of John Williams and some beautiful scenery and good supporting actors like George Kennedy (who had worked with one year earlier Eastwood in "Thunderbolt & Lightfood"), sensual Brenda Venus and hateful Gregory Walcott playing "Pope", who is a goofy messenger of "C2" (intelligence company where Eastwood works). From the Grand Canyon, passing through Zurich to the Alps, the film is a demonstration of force that Eastwood has to tell a good story without falling into the topics are quite characteristic of this genre.

It's good film with an unexpected ending, an excellent performance from Eastwood.

mountain|climbing|mountain climbing|mountain climber|breasts|interracial sex|hand to hand combat|professor|assassin|murder|professional assassin|death|assassination|threat to kill|monument valley|nude black woman|flask|femme fatale|restaurant|cover up|swimming pool|lie|fight|beating|anti hero|reluctant hero|airplane|betrayal|deception|conspiracy|cold war|photograph|ex nazi|disguise|climbing up a wall|blood transfusion|training|car accident|korean war veteran|revenge|bodyguard|rifle|coming out of retirement|wisecrack humor|germany|italy|secret agent|mountaineering|mountaineer|mountain climbing gear|sliding down a mountain|mountain in title|falling down a mountain|dead body|band aid|chocolate|stepping on someone's hand|blown cover|german man|shotgun|campy|yorkshire terrier|shot in a car|shooting from a car|.38 snubnose revolver|small dog|dog|dog humping|male hits a female|man hits a woman|bare chested male|injection|pickup truck|kicked in the stomach|awakened by phone|handshake|reference to george armstrong custer|reference to marlon brando|giving the finger|thumbs up gesture|daquiri|wild turkey bourbon|punched in the face|reference to the nazis|microfilm|three word title|wishing someone good luck|reference to paris france|reference to el greco|reference to camille pissarro|reference to pablo picasso|reference to henri matisse|male taxi driver|yellow cab|sharing a taxi|flick knife|red light|kicked out a window|climbing a drain pipe|telling someone to shut up|feet on desk|slap on the butt|art teacher|tough guy|brunette|tough girl|vigilante justice|justice|ambush|avalanche|action hero|hero|shootout|jeep|disarming someone|martial arts|boxing|karate|one man army|beretta|vigilante|pump action shotgun|semiautomatic pistol|brawl|fistfight|revolver|pistol|interracial kiss|knife|seduction|bare butt|female nudity|male nudity|falling to death|eiger mountain|wide angle lens|telescope|taxi|switzerland|switchblade|stewardess|southwestern u.s.|throat slitting|sex by a fireplace|pet dog|limp|jazz music|ice pack|hotel|helicopter shot|glacier|german|germ warfare|frostbite|frenchman|falling out a window|espionage|echo|double cross|covert agency|car chase|bodybuilder|beer|austrian|alps|airport|african american|cult film|truck|rope|cave|directed by star|rivalry|college professor|spy|snow|desert|hitman|europe|interracial relationship|painting|albino|based on novel|title spoken by character|surprise ending|plot twist|art|premarital sex|grand canyon|kissing while having sex|native american|

AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Argentina:13 / Australia:M / Brazil:14 / Canada:14+ (Ontario) / Finland:K-16 / France:U / Germany:12 (re-rating) (uncut version) / Iceland:16 / Ireland:15 / Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) / Netherlands:12 (TV rating) / Norway:15 / Norway:15 (TV rating) / Norway:16 (1975) / Singapore:PG / South Korea:18 / Spain:18 / Sweden:15 (cut) / UK:AA (original rating) / UK:15 (tv rating) / UK:15 (video rating) (1987) (2000) / USA:R / West Germany:16 (original rating) (cut)