On W List of Movie Reviews
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Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
8/07, 6/10, 12/22
8/07:
Where Eagles Dare is a brilliantly made war espionage picture.
The casting of Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood can't have turned out better. Films that rush through the story without any
development usually leave me unsatisfied, but this one goes against the grain by having everything in place before the match
is lit for the fuse to blow open a barrel of gunpowder.
There are many twists, turns, and surprises that the action never lets down all the way to the end for 155 minutes. Although
none of the characters is explored in depth, the focal point is rather the plan with everybody in position to be ready.
What sets Richard Burton apart from other actors is his ability to evince naturalism. Lot of times, he never tries hard
which makes his acting look easy. His co-star, Clint Eastwood, would go on to have a career that most would die for.
All in all, Where Eagles Dare is the Mission: Impossible of
impossible missions.
6/10:
After seeing Where Eagles Dare for the second time, I've sadly decided the movie is boring.
Seeing there's a lot of intelligence in the planning of the mission, I've been surprised at the lack of it elsewhere.
First of all, at the beginning, the British and American agents were recruited for their ability to speak German.
Well...nobody ever attempts to do so during the mission.
Second, during the cable car incident when Richard Burton jumped from one cable car to another, it's impossible
given the look of the distance between these two in the air.
Third, why bring along three agents for hostages? What's the point? They should kill them all to make the escape easier from
Schloss Adler.
Fourth, near the end, the group jumps out of the cable car into a small creek, yet the Nazis on the other side of the line
don't see them?
Fifth, when the characters emerge from the supposedly icy cold water, they look almost dried off.
Sixth, I don't think they did the filming during the winter because the snow looks
Doctor Zhivago fake.
Seventh, when the tree falls down, blocking the Nazis from going through the pass, they use sticks of dynamite. After they
blow it up, the aftermath looks perfectly done.
Eighth, I'm tired of seeing helicopters because they never existed during WWII.
Ninth, it's annoying to see the rear projection effect during some of the scenes, especially with the cable cars.
Tenth, the protagonists are virtually invincible against thousands of flying bullets which makes it hard to believe.
By the way, the sight of the Nazi jumping out of his seat after hearing he's part of the Hitler assassination plot is funny.
All in all, Where Eagles Dare doesn't stand the test of time, but it's a passable WWII action-adventure thriller.
12/22:
Having Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton in the same picture is yummy, and that's the case for Where Eagles Dare.
Of course, most of it is unbelievable. There are so many bullets, but none of them hits Clint or Richard except for one time.
The mystery is however palpitating, but I fail to see the necessity to speak German since it won't matter in the long run.
All in all, you should ignore the implausibilities in Where Eagles Dare because it's quite entertaining.