Rent Where Eagles Dare (1968)

Boy's Own War Classic - Where Eagles Dare review by GI

"Broadsword calling Danny Boy, Broadsword calling Danny Boy". This line will immediately come to mind when you think about this wonderful action adventure film. A Boys Own story that doesn't need historical accuracy to be one of the greatest war films. It's Bondian in style and has a fantastic plot that twists and turns making for a mystery as well as an espionage and conspiracy story all combined. Richard Burton, in a rare action role, is the wry and cynical Major Smith, a wartime MI6 agent heading a crack team of intelligence officers sent on a covert mission to rescue an important American General held by the Nazis in a Bavarian castle. Clint Eastwood, with his rising star status, is the token American on the team (he basically handles all the shooting killing more people in this film than in any other) but there for a good reason because the basic rescue mission hides a story of double cross, traitors and trying work out who is on whose side. Written by Alistair MacLean specifically as a film script (he later turned it into a subtly different novel) this is simply great fun from start to finish and it's one of those films you watch and remember why you love cinema so much. Wonderful support cast including Mary Ure, Ingrid Pitt, Derren Nesbitt (wonderfully slimy and devious as a Gestapo officer), Donald Houston, Michael Hordern and Patrick Wymark. A thrilling film and even though you can drive holes through the plot it doesn't matter because it works on every level.

Sixties Blockbuster. - Where Eagles Dare review by Steve

Absurd but ridiculously entertaining World War II action spectacular. It's one of the many productions of the sixties which took the model of the post war special operations film and then remade it with a huge budget, in colour with a wide screen format. Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood are the stars, but their stunt doubles get more screen time.

And there must be more explosions than in any other film. The two leads break into a German castle fortress in the Alps to free an Allied General and for Burton to deliver a ludicrous plot twist. Then the laconic, unkillable Eastwood basically blasts them back to London. The real purpose of the raid alters about every 15 minutes, but, who cares...

As this is a sequence of stunts and explosions, it might be argued that it should be eclipsed by modern action films with more evolved effects. But it still works. The climax on board a cable car is justly famous. It helps that the stars are legends of the cinema. Mary Ure is sympathetic as an imbedded British spy and Derren Nesbitt reliably odious as a Gestapo officer.

The Austrian locations are a plus, especially the imposing Hohenwarfen Castle. Most of all, the story has unstoppable momentum. There''s a long running time of 160m, but it passes in a flash. It's all extremely improbable, but many special operation missions during WWII really were! Maybe it's a low bar, but it's easily the best screen version of a novel by Alistair MacLean.