MovieChat Forums > The Eiger Sanction (1975) Discussion > Awesome Movie, Great Direction

Awesome Movie, Great Direction

posted 20 years ago by another_nobody
8 replies | jump to latest

The scene filmed from a helicopter rising fast above green alpine meadows to reveal the Eiger in its full, grey, menacing glory before zooming into the small dot that is Clint in his bright red 70's anorak, who turns to camera at the perfect moment as the helicopter passes overhead, was pure cinema heaven and very much of its time. It clearly owes a debt to the iconic Hawaii 5-O intro, but even so, it made the movie for me on its own. One of Clint's under-appreciated pieces of perfection.

[–] pbl1 19 years ago

perhaps, but the rest of the film was crappola! Clint butchered a great book as only he can.

[–] joekiddlouischama 19 years ago

A great book? Eastwood's visual realization of the climbing sequences and forbidding landscapes saved a thin narrative from oblivion.

[–] Thomasco 19 years ago

This is one of the best movies ever made. Attention to detail, subtlety, nice pacing, great soundtrack, interesting characters, and story keeps you interested. Add wonderful cinematography with great direction, and a joke-book's worth of great lines and one-liners. WHAT A GREAT FILM!
I actually did buy the book back in '83 but never finished it. I found it a bit dry after having seen the film already 50-100 times (or more) before that starting back in 1975. He did an interview on TV before the film was released and they showed him on location in Monument Valley.

[–] pbl1 17 years ago

lighten up, fanboy. the film blows! End of story!

What the $%*& is a Chinese Downhill?!?

[–] pbl1 19 years ago

good point, joekidd. Reading the climbing sequences was tedious, but Eastwood did gut several of the books characters and much of its great dialogue/repartee.

Outside of the climbing sequences, the ones that Eastwood "visually realized", the movie was rendered vapid by comparison.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] joekiddlouischama 19 years ago

I thought that his direction was pretty elegant and meditative, making the most of a thin script (I haven't read the book, which is obviously better than the script according to some accounts).

[–] joekiddlouischama 19 years ago

Also, this film certainly doesn't look like anything that you'd find on TV, then or now, and the pacing is also dissimilar from television.