The Eiger Sanction (1975)
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75% of critics liked it
(12 reviews) -
46% want to see it
(5,469 ratings)
Clint Eastwood both directed and starred in this thriller based on a novel by Trevanian. Dr. Jonathan Hemlock (Eastwood) is a professor of art history who formerly had a deadly secret life; he was a hired assassin working with an international intelligence organization. Normally content to collect… More Clint Eastwood both directed and starred in this thriller based on a novel by Trevanian. Dr. Jonathan Hemlock (Eastwood) is a professor of art history who formerly had a deadly secret life; he was a hired assassin working with an international intelligence organization. Normally content to collect and study art, Hemlock is forced by blackmail to perform one last hit, or, as the organization euphemistically calls it, a "sanction." The victim will be one of three men attempting a dangerous ascent of the Eiger, a beautiful but punishing mountain range in Swiss Alps. While Hemlock is an experienced mountaineer and willing to make the climb, he's troubled to discover that he does not know which of the other three men scaling the Eiger is his true target. The supporting cast includes George Kennedy and Jack Cassidy; the latter earned enthusiastic reviews for his over-the-top performance as a flamboyantly gay secret agent. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Clint Eastwood
- Written By
- Rod Whitaker, Hal Dresner, Warren B. Murphy
- Genres
- Action & Adventure, Romance
- Studio
- Universal Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Clint Eastwood's mountain-climbing spy thriller is surprisingly effective, even by today's standards.
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Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
What makes the movie less offensive than you might assume -- its total detachment from its characters -- also makes it a tough sit.
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Daniel Eagan, Film Journal International
Flaccid story redeemed by superb mountaineering footage
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Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
One of Clint's lesser-known adventures, and one that's certainly worth of a revisit.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Clint Eastwood
as Jonathan Hemlock
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George Kennedy
as Ben Bowman
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Vonetta McGee
as Jemima Brown
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Jack Cassidy
as Miles Mellough
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Heidi Brühl
as Mrs. Montaigne
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Thayer David
as Dragon
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Reiner Schöne
as Freytag
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Michael Grimm
as Meyer
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Brenda Venus
as George
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Gregory Walcott
as Pope
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Dan Howard
as Dewayne
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Siegfried Wallach
as Hotel Manager
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Susan Morgan
as Buns
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Jack Frey
as Cab Driver
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Jean-Pierre Bernard
as Montaigne
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Jack Kosslyn
as Reporter
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Candice Rialson
as Art Student
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Frank Redmond
as Wormwood
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Elaine Shore
as Miss Cerberus
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Walter Kraus
as Kruger