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Posted: |
Jan 14, 2016 - 7:38 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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It's actually not that bad! Here's what I wrote in another EIGER thread a few years ago.
From http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=1107&forumID=1&archive=1
It's a very well-made thriller with a comedy undertone that WORKS - taking us to different locales and exciting setpieces.
I thought it was funny how it started off as an INDIANA JONES precursor....here was the popular college professor that led a secret life as someone more adventurous (an assasin for a government company), with female students falling in love with him. smile And a little bit of James Bond as well, girls being his exact "weakness" or femmes fatales.
Interesting to finally find out what the cryptic title "The Eiger Sanction" means....'sanction 'being the assasination assignment that is given whenever an agent from a competing company is killed. And obviously, this assignment is supposed to take place while climbing the famous Eiger top.
The climbing setpieces were quite impressive, but I wish more time was dedicated to this segment of the film. It just feels a little short and sudden, the way it ends now.
As usual, Williams' music was excellent in context.
The opening main theme is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous, of course, the kind of baroque jazz melancholy that I love and made a thread on earlier:
http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=51696&forumID=1&archive=0
In the film, it is presented more classical and longer, and I actually prefer that over the recording on the soundtrack album.
Also, Williams has an excellent approach to the humorous "training montage" sequences (in three parts) - easy-going, baroque melody on pizzicato strings, guitar and harpshicord that grow in orchestral force as Clint becomes fitter and fitter. Overall, Williams deals with the action scenes in a very classy, lean style. Quite unusual.
Recommended film.
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Not as hilarious as this trailer, but not a great film either. A weird mix of James Bond and more straightforward thriller/adventure elements. I like it for having the charismatic Jack Cassidy in it in one of his few big screen roles (he was a formidable villain on Columbo no fewer than three times!). Too bad he died in '76.
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Nice theme. Williams music was probably the best bit of it. Be honest its an average eastwood thriller. There are probably about 20 eastwood films you would recommend before this one.
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Sorry that should have read being honest.
My typo.
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I'm with Thor in this... it's not a great movie, but it's not a bad one either. It's an entertaining 70s thriller, so if you like that kind of movie, you should give it a try. If features an very good "transitional" John Williams score, composed at around the same time as JAWS.
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Posted: |
Jan 14, 2016 - 11:05 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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I really like the film and John Williams score (which still needs to be released!)
It HAS been released -- twice! First on LP (on MCA) when the film was released in 1975, and then on CD (on Varese) in 1991.
The LP reissued on CD is a re-recording and cues arent arranged in film order. And you call yourself a fan... 
Read an interesting analysis of the cues and music here:
http://www.jwfan.com/forums/index.php?/topic/20897-score-the-eiger-sanction-complete-score-analysis/
"As was the case with so many soundtrack albums released in the 1970’s, the original soundtrack album, reissued on CD by Varese Sarabande (VSD-5277), was a rerecording sequenced for optimum listening impact. Inevitably, the album omits some great music ..."
I'm well aware that it's a re-recording. A great one it is too. Still, a soundtrack album EXISTS! Your comment seemed to imply it didn't exist at all. I don't mean to single you out, in particular, but in general, I'm getting rather weary of people claiming that this and that score "isn't released" when it clearly is, and what they REALLY mean is that there hasn't been a release particularly tailored to THEIR taste. This has become more and more common in recent years; as if the original release never existed.
I think the existing EIGER SANCTION album is perfect the way it is, but a re-issue wouldn't hurt to make it more available and affordable to new audiences.
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Posted: |
Jan 14, 2016 - 11:39 AM
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By: |
Last Child
(Member)
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"As was the case with so many soundtrack albums released in the 1970’s, the original soundtrack album, reissued on CD by Varese Sarabande (VSD-5277), was a rerecording sequenced for optimum listening impact. Inevitably, the album omits some great music ..."
I'm well aware that it's a re-recording. A great one it is too. Still, a soundtrack album EXISTS! Your comment seemed to imply it didn't exist at all. I don't mean to single you out, in particular, but in general, I'm getting rather weary of people claiming that this and that score "isn't released" when it clearly is, and what they REALLY mean is that there hasn't been a release particularly tailored to THEIR taste. This has become more and more common in recent years; as if the original release never existed.
I think the existing EIGER SANCTION album is perfect the way it is, but a re-issue wouldn't hurt to make it more available and affordable to new audiences.
There are fans of complete original film tracks, and fans who want the "best" representation of the music content (regardless of how that new orchestration differs from the film version). As one of the former types, I am also weary of people who claim a soundtrack is released when it's actually an abridgement and/or re-recording. I dont find my preference as asking for something "tailored" to my "TASTE," but the default of soundtrack collecting.
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Posted: |
Jan 14, 2016 - 1:53 PM
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By: |
jackfu
(Member)
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It is good for an early directorial effort. It is very reflective of its time in its depiction and treatment of male heroes, villains, etc., and female accomplices and so on. Lots of machismo, double entendre. The dialogue is laughable in some areas by today’s standards.
I think it tried to combine the scenic grandeur of "Where Eagles Dare" with the grittiness of "The French Connection", but didn’t quite make it. The movie plot is just lame in some areas. I think its major failing was that you really don’t care about any of the characters in this film, except for “Hemlock” and he's the antihero so typical of the time.
As to the film score, it is a favorite of mine. The lp, as some have said is a “Music From” recording and varies quite a bit in some tracks from the film. It incorporates the typical harpsichord (?) music for the “artsy” references and the horns for the depiction of mountain grandeur. Nothing wrong with that, but nothing new, either.
The score poses quite the quandary for me in that when the tracks are arranged chronologically, almost all of the best action music is heard very early on. I typically prefer the film track chronology for my collection, but for TES the lp version as released does have a good flow to it. I have both the “original” and the chronologically correct version on my player depending on my preference at any given time. The film score has a likeable “pop” version of the main theme and I wonder if it is one of the earliest ones to do so.
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