Where Eagles Dare (1968)

[titoli]

Where Eagles Dare (1968) - As I already wrote, I went to watch this a bit amazed at the fact that Eastwood was billed as second banana at a time he was the most popular star (with Sean Connery) at the italian box-office. And leaving the lead to Richard Burton at that! Who may have been a  great actor, but in action movies he couldn't be put ahead of Eastwood. All the more so in a movie where there's actually no playing until the final scene in the airplane, when Burton partially justifies his salary giving a great performance. But for the rest, rather strangely, this is a movie which requires no actors, as it is all based on action, with no character development. Which would be a great thing were it not that the action scenes are connected by a rather awkward, elaborated and little realistic plot, with such blunders as the irrealistic haircuts (Eastwood hair wouldn't have passed muster in any army), women make ups (Ingrid Pitt though doesn't look so attractive here as in her hammers) and the germans made to speak english for the stars convenience. Still the action scenes are generally effective (a couple of them even spectacular) and I give it a 6\10.

[Groggy]

Where Eagles Dare (1968) - As I already wrote, I went to watch this a bit amazed at the fact that Eastwood was billed as second banana at a time he was the most popular star (with Sean Connery) at the italian box-office. And leaving the lead to Richard Burton at that! Who may have been a  great actor, but in action movies he couldn't be put ahead of Eastwood. All the more so in a movie where there's actually no playing until the final scene in the airplane, when Burton partially justifies his salary giving a great performance. But for the rest, rather strangely, this is a movie which requires no actors, as it is all based on action, with no character development. Which would be a great thing were it not that the action scenes are connected by a rather awkward, elaborated and little realistic plot, with such blunders as the irrealistic haircuts (Eastwood hair wouldn't have passed muster in any army), women make ups (Ingrid Pitt though doesn't look so attractive here as in her hammers) and the germans made to speak english for the stars convenience. Still the action scenes are generally effective (a couple of them even spectacular) and I give it a 6\10.

I don't disagree with this. It's fun but very slight. The only standout scene was Burton playing mind-games with Eastwood and the Nazi officers.

[cigar joe]

Where Eagles Dare (1968) - As I already wrote, I went to watch this a bit amazed at the fact that Eastwood was billed as second banana at a time he was the most popular star (with Sean Connery) at the italian box-office. And leaving the lead to Richard Burton at that! Who may have been a  great actor, but in action movies he couldn't be put ahead of Eastwood. All the more so in a movie where there's actually no playing until the final scene in the airplane, when Burton partially justifies his salary giving a great performance. But for the rest, rather strangely, this is a movie which requires no actors, as it is all based on action, with no character development. Which would be a great thing were it not that the action scenes are connected by a rather awkward, elaborated and little realistic plot, with such blunders as the irrealistic haircuts (Eastwood hair wouldn't have passed muster in any army), women make ups (Ingrid Pitt though doesn't look so attractive here as in her hammers) and the germans made to speak english for the stars convenience. Still the action scenes are generally effective (a couple of them even spectacular) and I give it a 6\10.

I'd give it a bit more about a 7 the snow scenes alone up it for me. 

[noodles_leone]

The French version is better: the Germans speak Germans.
I strongly disagree with the rest of the criticisms: the plot is the best I've ever seen in a war movie (if only today's blockbusters could reach half this level..,), most action scenes hold up incredibly well considering they've been done in 1968, the use of music is still one if the best ever, the snow scenes are fucking great. The women are not as attractive as they are supposed to and Eastwood being a second banana probably comes from the fact that he cut out a lot of his lines himself.

[stanton]

One of the most boring films ever. Badly directed and badly written. Idiotic in every respect. 1/10

(but don't ask me for what merit the one star is)

[noodles_leone]

Boobs in the restaurant scene.

(This is both the answer to your question and an in-depth justification of my 8/10 rating)

[dave jenkins]

One of the most boring films ever. Badly directed and badly written. Idiotic in every respect. 1/10

(but don't ask me for what merit the one star is)

I'm with stanton on this one.

[stanton]

Boobs in the restaurant scene.

(This is both the answer to your question and an in-depth justification of my 8/10 rating)

Don't remember the booby part. Surprising for a 68 mainstream film.

I re-watched it in parts last year, when it was on TV very often near midnight. I really fell asleep after about 10 min every time. But I stumbled in and out at various parts, and thought I had maybe seen it complete, too bad I missed the main thing (there can't be a god), which maybe would have raised it to a staggering 1,5/10 (or 2 if she had nice breasts).

[noodles_leone]

I still cannot believe I'm the only one here to like this film. It's a 1968 film that created a whole genre of video games 30 years later (infiltration games started with Comando, which gameplay is 100% derived from WED).

[drinkanddestroy]

I still cannot believe I'm the only one here to like this film. It's a 1968 film that created a whole genre of video games 30 years later (infiltration games started with Comando, which gameplay is 100% derived from WED).

well, n_l, I have good news and bad news for you:
Good News - someone else here agrees with your 8/10 rating.
Bad news - that someone else is me.

I think it works well as both an action and espionage film. (I didn't like how these two people keep firing machine guns at waves and waves of Nazis and somehow never even get a scratch themselves, I thought that a little more realistic depiction of those shootings would have been better. Also, you never really got a good idea of where one place was in relation to the others.) But overall, this is a very good movie. You're welcome, and I'm sorry.  

oh, and btw, I'm glad you finally found a film you prefer to FAFDM. Fag.

[dave jenkins]

oh, and btw, I'm glad you finally found a film you prefer to FAFDM. Fag.

[cigar joe]

I like it better than any action flicks from the 2000's on. The farther we get away from the 40's the less believable WWII gets.  

[noodles_leone]

oh, and btw, I'm glad you finally found a film you prefer to FAFDM. Fag.

I like it better than any action flicks from the 2000's on. The farther we get away from the 40's the less believable WWII gets. 

This movie gets a lot of little details right, like the way German army behaves in action (the hammers vs door shots, the way they send a motorcycle then blow up the tree on the road while the trucks go back...). This is the kind of stuff Leone did well.

[Novecento]

I still cannot believe I'm the only one here to like this film.

Along with Cross of Iron and The Great Escape, this is one of my top 3 WWII films (I should specify combat only and not a wartime setting like say Casablanca, La Grande Illusion or the like). However, I am a little biased with this one and The Great Escape because I watched them when I was young and they have just stuck with me ever since in a nostalgic kind of way. Cross of Iron on the other hand I watched as an adult and was simply blown away. I had always heard that Peckinpah had gone into decline after Pat Garrett or possibly Garcia, but Cross of Iron totally turned that theory on its head. In my book it was with Cross of Iron that Peckinpah really reached his zenith.

Anyway, there are no doubt loads of Cinema Retro fans who love Where Eagles Dare also (so much so they even published a revised edition):

http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/6775-WHERE-EAGLES-DARE-THE-UPDATED-AND-REVISED-CINEMA-RETRO-MOVIE-CLASSICS-ISSUE-NOW-SHIPPING-WORLDWIDE!.html

[noodles_leone]

Cool! Thanks.