The Eiger Sanction (1975)

Let's face it, folks, either you go for Clint Eastwood's kind of almost pure machismo (or whatever comes closest to him as a living, walking bad-ass), or you feel unnerved or turned off or just tune in for a few minutes here and there. I go for it, as it's one of those things that makes Clint what he is; he's intelligent about being a star, as his figure and persona are rarely changed much, so there's a consistency (Jack Nicholson may be a more versatile actor, maybe even better overall in his craft, but he'd have to go in a steel cage with Eastwood to see who'd be the best 70s star). The Eiger Sanction isn't any great shakes as compared to Clint at his best in the 70s- it's no High Plains Drifter or Dirty Harry or even Play Misty for Me- but it's a helluva lot of fun, and probably one of the better pictures done on the danger of mountain climbing.

Is the plot generic? Yes and no. Yes because we have seen this many times, with the ex-assassin pulled in for one more job and then finding a way to secure his retirement package with the deal and with not-surprisingly exciting (or sometimes not exciting) results. And yes, we've seen stuff like the guy's "girl" who comes in and plays a role, more or less, as the voice of reason, in this case Jemimma Black (yes, the name is basically blaxsploitation in mainstream clothing). Hell, there's even the doggone twist (yes, there's a doggone here) about who the killer actually is, and it's the sort that is handled this time with some degree of interest not so much in how it's revealed but what's done with it by the actors and the outcome of the climb.

But there's a lot more wit and fun in the script than one might give Eastwood and his writers credit for. It's tailor-made for someone like Clint, who plays this 'Doctor' of assassin time turned art history like it's nothing. He probably doesn't have much difference here in term of delivery of lines or sarcasm or the knack for beating the crap of the bad dude at the nick of time than Dirty Harry. Which is just as well; we need an anchor with the plot's likely pit-falls, with co-star Kennedy the only normal one among the possibly shifty characters (save for whoever plays Dragon, which is also filmed appropriately creepy and near originally). And it's the combo of humor ("Screw Marlon Brando!") and the suspense that arrives in that final act on the Eiger that makes the picture work. It's not entirely superbly directed- you can tell Eastwood is still working his way through doing certain techniques and frankly can't film a love scene at all- but for what it's worth, it's good, under-looked stuff in the cannon, perfect for a 'sick day' viewing. 7.5/10