Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Where Eagles Dare

A team of British paratroopers, led by a stoic major (Richard Burton) and an American lieutenant (Clint Eastwood), parachute behind enemy lines to siege a mountaintop castle occupied by Nazis in an effort to rescue a general, whose knowledge of key Allied stratagems would turn the tables of war towards the Axis' favor. "Where Eagles Dare" is an gripping war picture that features gorgeously filmed European snowcapped locations, and the special treat of seeing two iconic, antithetical actors appearing in the same film. Following the excellent espionage set-up, however, the film does overplay its hand leading to one too many plot twists and a needlessly redundant final hour.