The Eiger Sanction (1975)

[7]

Clint Eastwood gives us his take on James Bond with The Eiger Sanction, the story of a retired hit man who is coerced back into action by a secretive government organization to ‘sanction’ (kill) a member of a mountain climbing party in the Swiss Alps. The Bond-like elements are some of the film’s most memorable, including the secretive group’s albino boss man (Thayer David) and an engaging but duplicitous female agent named Jemima Brown (Vonetta McGee). The film features several other colorful characters, with Bond-sized doses of mystery, treachery, and exotic locations.

Most of the action is reserved for the third act, set atop Switzerland’s Mt. Eiger, featuring plenty of photography and stunt work that will make you wonder how dangerous the shoot must have been. Surprisingly, I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the movie slightly more than the eponymous cliff-top climax, anchored by Eastwood’s charismatic interactions with Jemima and an old mountain climbing buddy played by frequent co-star George Kennedy (Cool Hand Luke, Airport).

Modern audiences may be taken aback by the casual womanizing and gay stereotypes on display here, especially in a flamboyant old adversary, played by Jack Cassidy, who antagonizes Eastwood while he’s training for the big climb. Cassidy’s character dons an overly groomed mustache and travels with a burly bodyguard and a little dog named ‘Faggot’. If you can acknowledge movies are always products of their time, you might actually enjoy Eastwood’s interactions with this over-the-top character. I did.

The action doesn’t quite measure up to the spectacular stunt work in most Bond films, but The Eiger Sanction makes up for it with a solid cast of characters stronger than many Bond films. Widescreen anamorphic photography and composer John Williams add to the film’s grandeur.

Directed by Clint Eastwood.