Where Eagles Dare (1968)

Director: Brian G. Hutton

Screenplay: Alistair MacLean (based on his book of the same name)

Cast: Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, Mary Ure 

Music: Ron Goodwin

Time: 155 minutes

Bottom-line: With a story that had already become famous, the film only makes it better

       Often considered MacLean’s magnum opus, his novel Where Eagles Dare, after The Guns of Navarone, is one book whose film adaptation was much awaited. And MacLean delivered! Other than providing the basic story, he also writes the screenplay of his film. Starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood, this film is a faithful copy of the book. So if you liked the book, you will love the film; and conversely if you hated the book, you will also hate the film.

Eastwood as Schaffer (left) and Burton as Smith

The story takes place during the Second World War. Members of the MI6: Major John Smith (Burton), Lieutenant Schaffer (Eastwood), and five other men are dropped from an airplane somewhere in Germany. Their mission is to rescue an American General from the Schloss Adler (or castle of the eagles), before the Germans can interrogate him. Though only seven men were selected, a woman (Mary Ure) is also dropped in that place, but no one seems to be aware of her presence. Soon after the men land and unite, two soldiers are mysteriously killed. As the story progresses further, we see that the actual mission is actually much more complex and tricky than the mission they were briefed about. As it becomes clear that one of the soldiers is a traitor, the tension escalates, and it becomes only a matter of time before the real members of MI6 complete their mission, before being captured by the enemy.

Mary Ure as Mary

The book became an immediate success after release. Writing the screenplay must have been comparatively easy for MacLean, as several books, starting from When Eight Bells Toll, were already written with a cinematic approach. If you are a regular reader of MacLean’s works, you will see that this film also has several of his trademark features: the actual spy being someone whom you never thought would be the one, the typical setting with the snow playing a big role etc. MacLean’s strengths include describing places. He doesn’t exactly describe the place in the film, but the chilly snowy background gives a greater effect in the film. There are also enough twists and turns, accompanied some terrific action sequences, which make this film a thrill ride. 

The Schloss Adler 

The novel

The film is much more violent that the book. Lots of scenes display some gruesome murders, along with lots of blood, which you don’t visualize when reading the book. But the action sequences have been brilliantly portrayed. Like how in The Guns of Navarone the men had to climb the steep mountain to reach the territory, here the soldiers can reach the Schloss Adler only by cable car. And as the real MI6 members are English, they go by clinging on to the top of the cable car. This sequence is one of the best ones in all of MacLean’s books, as well as among all thriller books in general. The way this scene has been shown, along with the background score and the settings, is dazzling to see. In fact, Burton and Eastwood called this film ‘Where Doubles Dare’, as in several action scenes, doubles were used for their roles.

This film is considered one of the best war films ever made, despite several historical inaccuracies (which anyway don’t affect the main story). The cable car sequence, the ending and the interrogation scene inside the castle are some of the best scenes of the film. The acting is not so good, but the thrills cover up for that defect. The score is very good, and provides good accompaniment to the thrills. 

The cable car scene: Smith and Schaffer clinging
to the top of one car 

To conclude, Brian G. Hutton’s Where Eagles Dare is a terrific war film, thanks mainly to the masterpiece Alistair MacLean wrote. A great story, good score and memorable action sequences make this film a fast-paced action thriller. It may not be one of Eastwood’s or Burton’s more recognized films, but as far as MacLean is concerned, both the novel and film are awesome. 

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 88%