The Eagle Has Landed (1976)

Sturges' last film- a winner!!

This film marked the last film John Sturges directed but at least he bowed out with a good one, a WWII thriller by John Higgins with a steller cast led by Michael Caine as a disgraced Nazi officer who is recruited by Robert Duvall as Colonel Radl to parachute into England and assasinate Winston Churchill. Caine is assisted by Donald Sutherland as an IRA sympathizer Devlin and Jean Marsh as Mrs Miles, a disaffected Afrikanner who has switched allegiances. The rest of the cast is also excellent with Larry Hagman as an inept Colonel who has no combat experience, Treat Williams in his first major role as the Ranger who almost stops Caine from accomplishing his mission, Jenny Agutter who unknowlingly falls for Devlin, Judy Geeson as the lass who discovers their true identity and John Standing as the minister who opposes Caine. This film along with "Das Boot" was one of the first films to cast a more sympathetic light on the German soldier--just patriotic men trying to do their duty. Sturges direction keeps the tension going and you'll be rooting for Caine & company to complete their mission. Recommended for war buffs and lovers of thrillers. May 27, 2008

Good Cast Good Story

I watched this movie a long time ago and brought it out of my collection recently. I must say that it holds up very well. The casting is just perfect and Jack Higgins story is really entertaining. Michael Caine and Robert Duvall are both perfect for their parts and really chew up the scenes. Another stand out in a small role is Larry Hagman. This movie has plenty of intrique and action. January 16, 2008

An excellent war film

This is a great movie. I remember it as one of the first videos I ever watched.

In this movie a series of unconnected or coincidental events makes it possible for the Germans to kidnap Winston Churchill while he is near the coast. This movie has everything: espionage, drama, courage, romance, even humor. Well worth the time! September 23, 2007

Say what?

The elements are all there--a film based on a famous novel, great cast, good direction, good production values, nice location shooting. Then, smack dab in the middle of an espionage/adventure story is what was probably an unintentionally-comic performance by Larry Hagman. This dvd has been bubbling to the top of many sale bins. It's worth watching and it does hold your attention, even though the story is a tad preposterous and there are too many genre twists and turns. At several points you will ask yourself, "What is this movie trying to be?" For those seeking Larry Hagman's most over-the-top, wiggy performance, this is a don't miss. June 16, 2007

This Eagle Had a Rough Landing

With an international all star cast, director John Sturges at the helm, and lots of antique military hardware, this movie should have been a sure fire blockbuster. Instead it comes off as cliche-driven condensed version of the book filled with short dramatic speeches and overacting. Even the Lalo Schifrin soundtrack, which was so appropriate for KELLY'S HEROES, misses the mark.

The movie summary: A heavily attrited and disgraced German paratroop unit, led by Oberst Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine), is enlisted to kidnap British Primer Minister Winston Churchhill. They are assisted by Irishman Liam Devlin and a disaffected English woman Joanna Grey. Parachuting into Great Britain the Fallschirmjager pose as Polish paratroops on maneuvers until their identity is accidentally revealed. The Germans change back into their Luftwaffe uniforms and battle two waves of US Army Rangers in an English village before the their plot is foiled.

If the story remained focused on this plot then the movie may have had a fighting chance. Unfortunately other elements of the Jack Higgens book were squeezed into the film. Devlin (Donald Southerland) has a whirlwind romance with a local English girl (Jenny Agutter) that invites trouble from her English suitor. We also find American Captain Clark (Treat Williams) with eyes for the local pastor's daughter (Judy Geeson). Back in the Channel Islands the originator of the plan, Oberst Radl (Robert Duvall), fails to realize that Reichsfuehrer Heinrich Himmler (Donald Pleasence) is using him to either garner credit for a successful operation, or as a scapegoat if the operation fails. Thrown in for good measure is a comic relief sequence with disgraced US Army Ranger Colonel Pitts, played by Larry Hagman, launching his own unauthorized attack against the Fallschirmjager to salvage his career. Mrs. Grey's (Jean Marsh) motivation for helping the Germans is never fully explained in the film.

The village battle scene is impressive and partially redeems the film, though you cannot help but question how the battle hardened German paratroops were so easily and utterly defeated. Some of the excitement early in the film is from glimpses of a Fiesler Storch STOL aircraft, a two-seater Messerschmitt 109 trainer, and a Finnish (former German) Army Sturmgeschutz on a railroad flatcar. We also see Steiner and his group dressed in German snow/woodland splinter pattern reversible parkas. We have not seen these parkas in a film since Clint Eastwood and Richard Burton wore simalar parkas in WHERE EAGLES DARE.

Despite my criticism of the movie I did buy the DVD. THE EAGLE HAS LANDED was the first war film I was able to drive to on my own with my (then) newly acquired driver's license. As such it holds a special place in my war movie collection. Even though it does not come off as well as THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, WHERE EAGLES DARE, or THE DIRTY DOZEN, there are enough good scene in the movie to make this worth adding to a film collection.

April 30, 2007

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