Based on the novel by Rod Whitaker and directed by star Clint Eastwood, The Eiger Sanction centers around Dr. Jonathan Hemlock (Eastwood), a former government assassin whose specialty was to sanction, or do away with anyone the government suspected of killing an American agent. A mountain climber and art professor, his personal collection includes rare pieces by Klee, El Greco, Matisse and others. When an American is killed in Zurich, Hemlock’s old boss Dragon (Thayer David) forces him out of retirement to kill the two American agents responsible. It’s known that one lives in Zurich, and the other is known to have a limp.
Of course, there’s more to it than a simple hit. Hemlock finds himself double crossed. Meanwhile, a foxy agent named Jemima Brown (Vonetta McGee) is causing him issues. Making things worse, Hemlock learns that one of his old army buddies has been found dead under mysterious circumstances. Hemlock must travel to Utah to train with a longtime pal, former mountain climber, Ben Bowman (George Kennedy), to climb the dangerous Eiger Mountain in the Swiss Alps. Hemlock must find and kill a climber that’s involved in the whole thing.
While The Eiger Sanction is decidedly predictable, it still manages to be entertaining and fun. A kind of American James Bond, Clint Eastwood doesn’t stretch much as an actor here. He’s the typical tough guy that made him a star, but he seems to be enjoying himself. The script plays to his strengths. As Eastwood often does, he’s surrounded himself with a strong supporting cast. The always reliable George Kennedy does his tough-as-nails best as Eastwood’s old pal, beautiful Vonetta McGee vamps it up, and Jack Cassidy’s appearance made me wish he had more opportunities in film. Heidi Brühl, Thayer David and Reiner Schöne all do well in their roles.
Shot by cinematographer Frank Stanley on 35mm film, Kino Lorber’s new 4K release is reportedly sourced from a new 4K scan of the 35mm negative. The result is a noticeable upgrade from their previous Blu-ray. Fine detail is crisp. A nice level of grain is present throughout. Textures are noticeably better, be it clothing or facial features. The mountains look splendid. The Dolby Vision offers better color saturation. Blacks are sharp and inky. P noticed a couple of brief soft spots, but it doesn’t affect the overall viewing experience.
Like the recent 4K release of Play Misty for Me, the lossless 2.0 audio has obvious limitations, the 5.1 Surround audio is a wonderful mix to my ears, boasting clean dialogue with no hisses or pops. Atmospheric sound effects are full, and effective.
English SDH subtitles are included.
The following extras are available on the included Blu-ray disc:
- Audio Commentary by Film Critic Nick Pinkerton
- Freytag’s Accent: Interview with Actor Reiner Schöne
- Archival Interview with Actress/Singer Heidi Brühl by Pepe Ludmir
- Vintage 8-Minute Promotional Reel
- Poster and Image Gallery
- 5 Radio Spots
- 4 TV Spots
- Theatrical Trailer
