The Eiger Sanction (film)

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theatrical poster

The Eiger Sanction is a 1975 action/thriller film based on a 1972 novel by American author Dr. Rodney William Whitaker, under the pen name Trevanian. The film starred and was directed by Clint Eastwood, who also played Dr. Jonathan Hemlock.

1 Plot
2 Production notes
3 Cast
4 External links

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Dr. Jonathan Hemlock, professor of art and expert mountaineer, is a retired government assassin called upon to return to work for two more "sanctions", i.e. assassinations. He's used the small fortune he made from previous sanctions to amass a small but impressive art collection, made up primarily of stolen pieces smuggled into the U.S. from Europe.

His boss is "Dragon", a pure albino confined to semi-darkness and kept alive by blood transfusions. Dragon wants him to sanction two men responsible for the death of another government agent, a man who was also a friend of Hemlock's. But Hemlock refuses, insisting he is retired and uninterested in the work, regardless of the personal turn it has taken. Dragon will not be denied, however, and he arranges for Hemlock's illicit art collection to be seized by the IRS unless he cooperates. One of the targets is a member of an international climbing team about to ascend the north face of the Eiger in Switzerland, a treacherous route which has claimed many lives.

Hemlock goes to train in Arizona with his friend, Ben Bowman, then both decamp to Switzerland to join the climbing team. There is, of course, much conflict within the team, mainly due to clashing egos. The expedition eventually sets out, but encounters extremely bad conditions. Eventually rescued from the railroad that runs through the mountain, Hemlock finds the target of his mission, but it is not the one he expected.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Production notes

This film has developed a cult following because of the authentic mountain climbing sequences at the end of the film. Since the film was made in 1975, there were no CGI effects used — all the mountain climbing was real. Clint Eastwood did all his own stunts, saying that he couldn't expect a stuntman to risk his life if he wasn't ready to risk his own. Many rock climbers, mountaineers, and even critics who didn't like the film praise these scenes for their realism, and have said they make the film worth watching.