The Eagle Has Landed | | Cast : | Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland | | Director : | John Sturges | | Studio : | Artisan Entertainment | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned | | Released Date : | January 01, 1976 | | DVD Released Date : | October 21, 2003 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 30, 2005 | | Summary | Entertaining if a bit silly | Content
 | It's late in World War II and the smarter Germans are getting use to the idea that they are going to lose. The high command's latest hare-brained scheme is that it would be a good idea to send some people into Britain to kidnap Churchill. Only maybe it's not so hare-brained when an intelligence report suggests that WC is scheduled to be visiting in some sleepy little village conveniently near the coast.
This is jolly entertaining stuff for the most part. Michael Caine is by no means bad as war hero Kurt Steiner assigned to lead the mission. He and his men have a penchant for rescuing or trying to rescue stray Jews from the holocaust and cute wee kids from being mangled by mill wheels that keeps the audience semi sympathetic to them. And the late great Donald Pleasance does a beautifully creepy cameo as Himmler. But there are weaknesses. Robert Duvall's eye-patch wearing German colonel doesn't ring very true with his penchant for breathtakingly silly disquisitions on Jung. And Donald Sutherland turns in what must be a career-worst performance as ridiculously hammy stage-Irishman Liam Devlin blundering around asking for whisky and wishing everyone the top of the morning. Embarassing. But, hey, it's sort of fun.
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| Rating | | | Date | April 07, 2005 | | Summary | Excellent...with one disappointment. | Content
| This is an excellent, and well-cast action/war flick, and one of my favorites. Others have written solid reviews, and I don't wish to rehash, but I feel one thing has been left out.One of the reasons I purchased the dvd of this, was for the full, uncut movie. Sadly, even the dvd omitted part of the scene in the woods, where Mrs. Grey explains to Devlin and Steiner how she came to work for the Germans. I hope the full scene is restored, in any future re-release of the title. So far, I have only seen it on History Channel's "Movie's in Time." |
| Rating | | | Date | January 30, 2005 | | Summary | Are you kidding me? | Content
| This movie was abysmal. I don't understand how anyone could possibly rate it over two stars. The acting was ridiculous, it is amazing that Robert Duvall lent his name to the film. The cinematography was terrible. The plot also seemed thoughtless, although, having not read the book, I cannot attest to its faithfulness. It seemed as though the producers spent the movie's entire budget on payroll, as the props, writing, etc. were all very shabby. Overall, it is hard to even watch the movie all the way through. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 21, 2005 | | Summary | The Eagle Has Landed (1977) | Content
| Title: The Eagle Has Landed
Released: 1977
Rated: PG
Runtime: 2 hours 11 minutes
Directed by: John Sturges
Starring: Michael Caine as Col. Kurt Steiner
Donald Sutherland as Liam Devlin
Robert Duvall as Col. Max Radl
Jenny Agutter as Molly Prior
Donald Pleasence as Heinrich Himmler
Anthony Quayle as Admiral Canaris
Treat Williams as Capt. Clark
Larry Hagman as Col. Pitts
Great cast in durable war movie based on the 1975 best seller of the same name by Jack Higgins. The movie details the fictional attempt by the Germans to capture British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II. The story takes place in 1943 shortly after the daring rescue of Italian leader Benito Mussolini from a mountaintop fortress by German paratroopers. This gives the German high command the idea of seizing Churchill and transporting him to Germany, in the hopes of leading Britain to seek peace. Admiral Canaris (Quayle) assigns Col. Radl (Duvall) to come up with a plan to appease the command staff. To his suprise, Radl finds that although farfetched, the plan is possible. Churchill is scheduled to visit a chateau near a small coastal village (that just happens to be imbedded with a German spy) and Radl sees this as an opportunity to snatch him away. He chooses Col. Steiner (Caine) and his small detachment of elite paratroopers to carry out the mission and assigns Devlin (Sutherland), a German employed Irish Nationalist, to parachute into England posing as a gamewarden and pave the way for the arrival of Steiner's force. Canaris wants to shelve the plan, realizing that the war is turning against Germany and it would all be for naught. However Heinrich Himmler (Pleasence in a solid performance), the head of the dreaded SS, orders the plan to be initiated.
Steiner and his men must first be bailed out of trouble with the SS for coming to the aid of a Jewish girl who was being shipped off to a concentration camp. Sutherland arrives and quickly falls into his roll as the village's gamewarden. He soon falls in love with the pretty Molly Prior (Agutter) who is also lusted after by the village bully. Steiner's men soon arrive and begin trouncing about the English countryside posing as an in-training Polish unit (which were not at all uncommon in wartime England). Things are compounded for Steiner and his loyal band of troops when they soon discover that an American Ranger unit is stationed near the village. This unit is commanded by the inept former desk jockey Col. Pitts (played by Hagman) who lusts for combat experience.
The German plan soon unravels when one of Steiner's men is identified as being a German soldier. The Rangers are notified of the German presence and an exciting and climatic battle soon begins for the control of the village. Will the German's succeed in their quest to capture or kill Churchill? Will any of Steiner's men survive the onslaught of Rangers? Will the reckless Col. Pitts be able to lead his troops to victory over the invaders or will the cooler head of Ranger Captain Clark (Williams) come into play? What will become of Devlin's love for Prior?
The movie, which was filmed in England and Finland, is very well done and manages to keep the interest of the audience while delivering a good amount of action and suspense. The only setback to the movie is the fact that most of the Germans talk in English without accents, but if you aren't able to stretch your imagination somewhat then you probably aren't much of a movie fan. The great John Sturgis has given us a worthy entry into the big-cast 1960-1970's war movie genre. The DVD (widescreen version) has no notable extras.
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| Rating | | | Date | September 21, 2004 | | Summary | Excellent casting lifts War thriller well above average | Content
| I always felt this movie was ahead of it's time, and it's a fairly faithful interpretation of the excellent Jack Higgins novel of the same name. Michael Caine plays Col Steiner, a specialist and decorated leader of an elite paratrooper force, recruited by Col Radl (Robert Duvall) on a top secret mission to kidnap Winston Churchill. As hair brained as the scheme appears, Caine and his team appear to have a reasonable chance at success as the movie builds, and the storyline moves nicely with a tension and drama that is often gripping. There is some interesting social comment going on here as well with regard to the portrayal of Caine and his men, in so far as they were brave and honorable, and for the most part following orders, without subscribing to politics. In 1976 Germany was still trying to shrug off it's past and having spent some time there, I know you really didn't have to look far to find members of the now older generation, who were outrightly opposed to the Nazi regime. This side of Caines character (that infuriates his superiors) cleverly puts you the audience almost on his side, and like the more recent, and excellent Movie "Das Boot", you watch, and realise that soldiers were soldiers during this awful conflict, regardless of uniform color, driven more often by patriotism, than fanatiscism. Donald Sutherland is excellent as Devlin, a German / Irish spy sent ahead to the small English village with the help of some local collaboration, to pave the way for Caine and his men. Larry Hagman is intentionally laughably inadeqaute as the Officer in charge of the local American detachment on guard, who seem to be no match for Caines elite band. There are a few twists and turns, and the action flicks between the mission in England, and Duvall's angst in France, knowing he takes the glory OR the blame depending on how the events turn out. This is an excellent war movie, with solid acting, an airtight script and clever direction. Yet another release that drifted away into obscurity after failing to please at the box office, it's a welcome DVD release, and superb entertainment. Enjoy. |
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