With tongue firmly in cheek, let me say that the other reviewers of this movie have got it all wrong. "The Eiger Sanction" has got to be one of the all-time great "guy" films (I refer you to the "Big Damn Book of Sheer Manliness" here on Amazon.com for more information on those two). Yes, for Saturday-night-with-the-boys viewing, this is one of the classics. Here are ten reasons why:

1. Clint the Glint...need I say more?

2. Incredibly realistic mountain-climbing footage, from Southern Utah to the Swiss Alps, all shot on location, with none of the ridiculous fakery found in farces such as "Cliffhanger".

3. A plot that makes James Bond seem believable, starting with a combination art expert/mountain climber/CIA assassin and going forward from there.

4. Fantastic scenery shots, including George Kennedy and Clint on top of a sandstone pinnacle (I'm sure George really climbed it...yeah, right).

5. A cool resort compound (actually filmed at the lodge in Zion National Park, Utah).

6. Well-timed 70s nudity (in other words, totally unnecessary).

7. An albino (!) "establishment" guy, (CIA leader) and his wonderfully despicable sidekick, just waiting for Clint to kick around.

8. Astounding political incorrectness, including a character named "Jemimah Brown", another one known simply as "Buns", and much, much more.

9. Fantastically quotable manly lines, for example "Assassins get assassinated, and that ain't in my game plan", or "There's a twenty on the dresser by the bed", etc., etc., etc.

10. Clint even glints at a little dog...really!

I could go on and on.

All kidding aside, I love this movie! Just don't plan on taking it too seriously.


Decent thriller, Great Climbing Movie!   December 1, 2002
Stefan T. Wennik (Mass. USA)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

As a thriller, the 'Eiger Sanction' is just ok. It is a pretty faithful adaptation of Trevanian's bestseller from 1972. It stars Clint Eastwood as Dr. Johnathan Hemlock -- an ex-climber now art professor who does occasional asassinations for a secret US agency to pay for his art collection. He takes on one last job to pay for a Pissaro he desperately wants; but it requires that he get out his old climbing boots. He'll have to do the job while climbing the north face of the Eiger -- certainly one of the most dangerous climbs in the world.

I'm not completely sure of this, but I believe that this movie was also Clint Eastwood's directorial debut. He not only stars in it, but he produced and directed it as well!

Ah, the glorious 70's! The clothing, the hairstyles, the attitudes towards women, etc. It is quite fun to watch and chuckle at now. Hemlock is a kind of James Bond-ian super hero. Remarkably gifted not only at killing bad guys but also at bedding beautiful women, enjoying fine wine and food, and being an art expert. The story ofen requires you to suspend your sense of reality and to have a bit of a sense of humor. If you enjoy these kinds of thrillers, you'll definitely enjoy this one.

What sets this movie apart for me is the many climbing sequences! I am an avid climber and I know of no other 'Hollywood' movie that does as good a job as this one at showing real mountain climbing. The climbing scenes in the 'Eiger Sanction' are breathtaking and quite realistic. The scenes on the Eiger were actually filmed on location on the Eiger Nordwand itself! Remarkable! Apparently Clint is/was a bit of a climber himself, and took great pains to portray the climbing in as realistic a light as possible. Three cheers for Clint! On a sad note, one of the stuntmen/riggers was killed while filming the scenes on the Eiger.

Most other mass-market climbing films completely ruin the climbing scenes to make them more dramatic or exciting (Vertical Limit, Cliffhanger, K2, etc.); or are documentaries trying to cash in on the current Everest fever (and are more interested in the 'death zone' aspect of high altitude climbing than actually showing real climbing).

Bottom line for me: I bought this VHS for its depiction of the climbing more than the story line. However, it's also a pretty decent thriller as well as a fun trip back to the early 70's.


Dr. Hemlock...I Presume???.....   August 3, 2003
L. Shirley (fountain valley, ca United States)
16 out of 19 found this review helpful

This review refers to the Universal DVD edition of "The Eiger Sanction".....

Dr.John Hemlock(when Clint gets a name in a movie it's really a doozey!)...Professor of Art,Collector of Fine Paintings,handsome,has a weakness for beautiful women...and oh yeah...Assassin! But don't worry he works for the government. His superiors may be dangerous,they may be insane, but hey, they're on our side! Well.. maybe!

When our agents are being killed by the other side, Hemlock is coerced out of his retirement to "sanction" these killings. Or in a word..REVENGE! He is reluctant but when he learns one of the killings was of his friend, he dons his assassin outfit and goes back to work. The outfit is mountain climbing gear. The killer he is after is one of a party of climbers who will tackle "The Eiger" a dangerous peak in the Alps. Which one is the killer? That's for our guy Clint to figure out.

Although an intiguing mystery with some wonderful cinemagraphic scenes of the desert and the Alps,this one is not the usual above average to excellent film we are usually treated to by Eastwood. It's a good story, but at times slow(for an Eastwood flick) and somewhat predictable.

Eastwood directed as well as stars and by the way did all of his own climbing and stunts(gotta give him credit for that).
It also stars George Kennedy,Vonetta McGee, and Jack Cassidy.
The music by John Williams is one of the best parts of this film. It adds just the right flavor to this Europeon adventure.

It may not be one of Clint's best, but it's still an Eastwood film,an intriguing story, and worth the view. And being that it is and Eastwood film, I felt the DVD transfer deserved better.
First of all the sound...Dolby Dig 2.0 MONO! What's up with that? The picture, presented in widescreen(2.35:1)looked good in most of the outdoor scenes(although a bit grainy), but some of the indoor scenes were dark and undistinguishable.The colors looked almost artificial(I can hardley bring myself to talk about it) The special features are in the form of production notes, telling about how Clint did his own stunts, etc. There is captioning for hearing impaired viewers, which is nice and clear and is in the black bar area, and there are subtitles in Spanish and French.(it may only be viewed in English).

If you are are collector of all things Clint(like me), at this price you may want to add this one to your collection until a better edition comes along, if not and you just want to check it out, maybe renting it first may be better.

Universal.....please update this for Clint fans!..Thank you...
enjoy....Laurie

more great action from Clint:The Gauntlet/True Crime


Clint Eastwood!   July 25, 2001
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

I don't like to give too much of the story away when I tell people about films I've seen or that I really like, and this review won't be an exception. Eastwood is blackmailed into an assasination on a mountain called the Eiger, that's as much of the plot as I think you need know, unless you've seen it of course, in which case you know what will happen. If you haven't seen it then you are missing out. The mountain climbing sequences are fantastic, and I think this story suits Eastwoods direcing style perfectly. It is kind of slow and plods along at times, but I like it that way. The story is textured and the conclusion is pleasing. This is classic Clint Eastwood, that's as much as anyone needs to know really. The special features are pretty poor, no documentary of any value, and it would be nice to hear Clint talk us through his film, you get standard early Universal DVD features instead. The transfer isn't great and the picture is grainy at times, but this is an older film, and I would have liked a remastered soundtrack in 5.1 Dolby digital, but nevermind. I'm contented enough just to have this film on disc. So should you be!


One of the best climbing films ever   September 2, 2001
Craig Champlin (Golden, CO United States)
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

This movie has some of the best vintage climbing footage ever. Clint's "training" climb in Utah is really fun to watch. It is a peek back in time at a sport that has evolved rapidly over the past 20 years. Hob nail boots, "bongers", manky pitons, and hemp rope make for some real nail biting footage. Clint leads a fantastic stemmed chimney (while on top rope?) were the camera man uses some ground breaking rope work.

The footage of the Eiger is passable. It is interesting seeing what was considered cutting edge climbing back then. The pitches they were climbing would be considered novice routes today, provided the weather held.

Plot? Who cares! It is classic Eastwood, full of meaningless one-liners. He's always retired from something, isn't he? One of my favorites. Got to love those bathing beauties at his buddy's "swinger's ranch"!

If you're a climber or an Eastwood fan, you MUST check this one out! If you're not either, then odds are you won't appreciate it.