Where Eagles Dare

Warner | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

In the heat of World War II, a British plane soars over German soil and shot down behind enemy lines. The plane went down close to a heavily guarded, well armed German fortress, which means the crash was just the start of the trouble. The sole survivor of the wreck is an American, a General no less, which has both sides on edge about the situation. As the Allies plan the D-Day assault, the entire battleplan could be revealed to the Germans, as the captured General has full knowledge of the operation. Of course, he doesn't wish to divulge the information, but the Germans would stop at nothing to obtain whatever data possible. So important is the landing at Normandy that British Intelligence quickly dispatches a rescue squad, which is to land close to the fortress and bring the General back. After all, if the plan is leaked to the Germans, the entire war could shift in favor of the Axis. Major John Smith (Richard Burton) is tapped to lead a commando unit to storm the Nazi fortress, then do whatever is needed to protect the information. The lone American involved in the mission is Lieutenant Morris Schaffer (Clint Eastwood), who is somewhat surprised to be part of the operation. When the mission takes some unexpected turns, Schaffer suspects there is more to this assignment than meets the eye...

I've never been much of a fan of war movies and unless his name is Harry Callahan or he is in a western, I haven't been too taken with Clint Eastwood. In other words, Where Eagles Dare had a double curse before I ever sat down to watch it. The first time I viewed the movie, I wasn't too moved in either direction, I just found it to be a basic experience. So I returned to the film for this new release, but would time change my reaction? I have to admit, this movie won me over this time and I had a great time with this disc. All the action, all the suspense, and all of the cool World War II stuff, this movie is just a pleasure to watch. I liken Where Eagles Dare to a sort of Wolfenstein live action film, though this one has brains, as well as brawn. I wouldn't say this is a thinking man's action movie, but it has more attention to detail than you might think. I found the action sequences to be well executed and designed, even by today's standards, though of course, special effects weren't as evolved back in 1968. So while some aspects of Where Eagles Dare can be dated, the entertainment value remains high, which is what counts. Eastwood is good here, but the movie belongs to Richard Burton, no doubt about it. Warner's disc is slim on extras, but looks and sounds quite good, so this release is well recommended.

As I said before, outside of the Dirty Harry movies and his westerns, Clint Eastwood has never struck the right chords with me. I have enjoyed numerous films he's starred in, but his personal presence has never impressed me much. But even so, I can recognize his skills on screen and in Where Eagles Dare, we were offered a glimpse at his immense potential. In recent times, he has taken select roles and often worked in his own films, since his career has expanded to include several directorial efforts. In this picture however, he is not in the lead and in truth, I think he works very, very well in a supporting role. Perhaps its just so different to see him without the main part, but it was kind of refreshing to see him in such a role. He does all the right things with the part though, but he winds up outshine by Richard Burton. No matter what, Eastwood brings a lot to this movie and without question, it is a better movie because of his presence. I doubt we'll see him in a smaller role like this again, but its a well played turn here. Other films with Eastwood include Blood Work, High Plains Drifter, A Fistful of Dollars, Honkytonk Man, and The Dead Pool. The cast also includes Richard Burton (The Longest Day, 1984), Patrick Wymark (Satan's Skin, The Conqueror Worm), and Mary Ure (The Mind Benders, The Luck of Ginger Coffy).

Where Eagles Dare is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This presentation had the deck stacked against it somewhat, as this movie has an odd, fairly unique visual makeup, so I had some doubts. But I was wrong, as Warner has delivered, hands down, the best looking treatment this film has seen on home video. There is some grain involved, though only a minor amount and some edge enhancement is visible at times. But that is where the bad news ends, as the rest of this transfer is simply terrific. I found colors to be bright and vivid, though the film's odd visual scheme sometimes uses strange hues. No troubles with contrast either, which is excellent news, since this movie has such dark visuals. This is just a clean, crisp visual presentation that should delight fans to no end.

A new Dolby Digital 5.1 surround option is found here, but don't expect much in terms of explosive presence. The surround channels remain silent most of the time, only activated for some slight atmosphere at times and of course, the musical score. But the score sounds excellent here and when the surrounds are used, the audio comes through well. The lack of surround presence doesn't hinder this soundtrack however, as all the explosions, gunshots, and other sound effects are well handled by the front channels. A good amount of creative presence and even some deep bass can be heard, so this is a more than adequate effort. No troubles with dialogue either, as vocals have a clean and clear texture throughout. This disc also includes a French language track, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.

This disc includes a talent file on Eastwood, a brief behind the scenes featurette, and the film's theatrical trailer.