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Eiger Sanction (The)
R2 - United Kingdom - Fabulous Films Review written by and copyright: Rick Curzon (13th March 2016). |
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The Film
 ***This is an A/V and Extras review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** Clint Eastwood directs and stars in this international intrigue action thriller that takes place on the Swiss Alps.Hemlock, a retired professional assassin (Eastwood), who has turned towards the calmer pursuit of art collecting, is suddenly forced out of retirement to hunt a deadly double agent who murdered a close friend. The hunt takes Eastwood on a breathtaking journey up the Swiss Alps with a team of mountain climbers - one of whom is the man he seeks, though his identity is as yet unknown.This top-notch action film, based on the novel by Trevanlan, features some of the most exciting mountain climbing sequences ever filmed.
Video
UK distributor Fabulous Films are reissuing Universal UK's ancient, barebones DVD of Clint Eastwood's entertaining entry in the James Bond spy thriller cashin subgenre, The Eiger Sanction (1975). Based on Trevanian's 1972 novel of the same name. Trevanian was the pen name of the late author Rodney William Whitaker (1931-2005) and he wrote this and an equally spoofy sequel The Loo Sanction (1973) which didn't get filmed as The Eiger Sanction under performed at the box office. If memory serves the books were fun reads, gently spoofing the whole Bond canon but are largely forgotten now with this film surviving into the modern era more successfully as it's also out on Blu-ray. I've always had a soft spot for this silly, dated film with its daffy characters and spectacular action and scenery. It's also R-rated (15 in the UK) due to the odd moment of hard edged violence and a smattering of now (in modern mainstream Hollywood) unthinkable nudity. Its always been a good looking film, well directed by Eastwood with fun cast of pros. Sadly, what we have here is the same tired old 4:3 letterboxed, non-anamorphic 2.35:1 image dating back most likely to the laserdisc transfers in the '90s. In its day this was a decent transfer with good colours, decent blacks, contrast and detail. However, by the time DVD came along it was instantly obsolete due to the development of 16:9 widescreen TVs and the optimizing of transfers to a 16x9 anamorphic format. So, as I have said this transfer was outmoded even when it first appeared on DVD in the early 2000s, but to reissue it in 2016 is....insulting. By today's standards it's dull and when zoomed on a modern widescreen television it's watchable due to the print and original transfer being virtually free of any damage and by being optimal for the '90s. But now, there's no excuse for it being trotted out yet again. Fabulous Films should have insisted on new 16x9 enhanced glass masters for this and The Day of the Jackal (1973) which is also being reissued, and is also letterboxed within a 4:3 frame. That release fares somewhat better because it was shot in 1.85:1 so the image is less compromised by the zoom cropping on a modern TV display. Being an anamorphically shot film to begin with this transfer suffers more than Jackal with aliasing much in evidence, especially when zoomed on a widescreen display. Annoyingly, the film starts playing on loading of the disc and on my Blu-ray player I couldn't get any of the menu options to work; I had to chapter jump to the end of the film to get to the old Universal menu. PAL / 2.35:1 / 123'29"
Audio
Audio: English, German, Italian, French, Spanish, Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Subtitles: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish and Turkish Bog standard, lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono tracks with numerous subtitle options to maximize the use of the glass master throughout Europe. The track does the job well as it replicates the original mono heard on the film's 1975 theatrical release. Obviously it's no match for a modern 5.1 stereo track but then no one requires it to be. Sadly, it's not surprising that a film held in this low (or indifferent) regard that a new HD master and 5.1 track haven't been created. A shame, as despite being very dated (it's very homophobic, sexist, and even mildly xenophobic) it's an entertaining, spectacular time piece that would lend it's self well to HD and a thunderous 5.1 upgrade.
Extras
Production Notes - 7 text pages Cast and Filmmakers: *Clint Eastwood - 7 text pages. *George Kennedy - 7 text pages. *Vonetta McGee - 4 text pages. *Jack Cassidy - 4 text pages. *Directed by Clint Eastwood - links you to the above Eastwood profile. Back in the early days of the DVD format text notes about the production, stars and key behind the scenes players were common on many releases. Now, they seem quaint. Although on this release I was reminded of the recent death of much respected character actor George Kennedy (1925-2016); of the tragic death by fire of Jack Cassidy (1927-1976) not long after making this film and of the far too young passing of Vonetta McGee (1945-2010). Theatrical trailer (1.85:1 4:3 letterboxed ) - 2'42" Universal Weblinks
Overall
Not one of Eastwood's most well regarded action flicks, but an enjoyable time piece with some great action, stunts and performances from a game cast. It also has a memorable score from John Williams only a couple of years off his classic scores for Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It deserves much than this dispiriting 1990s era transfer in 2016. That said, true fans will skip this redundant release and pick up the decent, if unspectacular (for the format) recent Blu-ray which is light years ahead of this DVD.
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