Where Eagles Dare (1969)

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Admirable film.

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

I have great memories of this film,remember reading the book at age 10.action,spies Burton and Eastwood together is great stuff,the interest starts right at the get go hearing the daring mission,never gets boring Keeps your attention all throughout the film and the last 5 mins are great to finish this fine work,suffice to say I won't spoil it at all my advice is if somehow you've missed or overlooked this 60s war film watch it asap,you won't be sorry.

I wonder about the rank of Reichsmarschall Rosemeyer, this means "Marshall of the Realm" which I understand that was created specially for Goering to ensure he was higher than generals. Nobody else was a reichsmarschall

Where Eagles Dare has been given the status of one of the best war movies ever produced. I think that statement is going a little too far, but I found the movie to be an effective war film and one of the better ones from an era in which seemingly hundreds of movies focused on World War II were released. Despite the acclaim it has received, it has received notice for historical inaccuracy. Personally I don't mind because the value of a movie is entertainment, not truth. On top of that, this story which was written by Alistair Maclean as a pet project for Richard Burton so it's a work of fiction, so history accuracy should not matter here. The movie is rather lengthy as it clocks in a tad over two-and-a-half hours, but I felt the time flew by quickly. There are plenty of action sequences and most of them are convincing and entertaining. Who wouldn't want to see Allied personnel lay waste to a bunch of Nazi scum? Despite this being a piece of fiction, I was washed over by a feeling of pleasure watching these Allied troops infiltrate a Nazi stronghold.During the war, a British aircraft was shot down over Nazi territory leaving only one survivor, an American general. The Allies are fearful because he knows all about the D-Day invasion, which holds the key to their success in achieving victory. They decide its best that he not divulge any information to the Nazis, so they plan a rescue mission. The team is led by Major John Smith (Richard Burton)-I know, such an original name right?, and his second-in-command, Lieutenant Schaffer (Clint Eastwood) who happens to be the only American in the rescue group. After the parachute drop goes wrong, it becomes clear to Schaffer that the mission is more important and more secretive than originally thought.The performances seem to be low-key despite the starpower in the main roles. You know, the one and only Richard Burton and the main famous for his manly scowl, Clint Eastwood. They all did well in their roles, even if their roles are not the best they have ever done. Burton does well in anything he does so it's no surprise he does so here. I like Clint Eastwood, and he puts his action chops to good use here. I read that he thought the screenplay was horrible and he wished to be given less speaking lines. So director Brian G. Hutton gave more of his lines to Burton and allowed Eastwood to focus more on the action. In the end, I think that worked out well.Where Eagles Dare is a very fun, entertaining movie. The movie has lots of muscle to it, but it surprisingly has a good amount of brains to it. That scene in the headquarters meeting room with Burton revealing some traitors, that was an incredible scene. Burton's character was messing around with the heads of everyone in the room, friend or foe. The action is consistent and they do a solid job. From the beginning with that parachute drop to the infiltration of the Nazi headquarters, to the grand escape with a bunch of Nazis on their heels-it was all good fun watching Smith and crew act smarter than the Nazi's. The movie itself is nothing special, but it's fun, entertaining, and a war thriller that doesn't take itself seriously. Not everything about the film plays off as rational, but does it really have to be? My Grade: A-

When an American general is captured by the Germans and taken to an Alpine castle a small team is sent to free him before he can be forced to give the Germans plans for the opening of a second front. This is a British operation led by Major Smith; it includes five other British soldiers and American Lt Schaffer. All of them are fluent German speakers; something that is essential as they will be infiltrate the castle in German uniforms.Once they parachute into Germany things start to go wrong; one of the group is found dead; Smith announces that he broke his neck but it is clear that he knows the man was killed. Smith's behaviour quickly show that there are parts of the operation that other members of the team are being kept in the dark about as he sneaks off to meet a woman, Mary Ellison, who is later instructed to go to the castle as a member of staff. Shortly afterwards another member of the team is killed then the others are captured; Smith and Schaffer manage to escape and carry on the operation alone. Once in the castle there are a lot of revelations; traitors are exposed and the true reason for the mission revealed… once that is done they just have to get out of the castle than make their way to a nearby airfield while hundreds of Germans try to stop them.If you are looking for a gritty, realistic war film then this is likely to disappoint you but if you are looking for a 'Boy's Own' adventure full of daring-do, lots of action where heroes seldom miss, bad guys are unlikely to inflict more than a flesh wound and there are so many twists that at one point or another most of the team have suspicion pointed at them then this might be the film for you. There is lots of exciting action; this includes shooting, explosions and even a fight on top of a cable car. Richard Burton does a fine job as Smith, especially in the scene the truth is revealed. He is ably supported by Clint Eastwood as Schaffer and Mary Ure as Mary Ellison; the rest of the cast is pretty solid too. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody looking for an exciting wartime adventure.