Benchmark For a Generation

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2005)

For my generation (born in 1960) this was the definitive adventure/war film. It was released at about the same time as the Battle of Britain, and although a very different type of Film , was regarded almost as being in competition with it and beat it hands down. Quite frankly we had not seen anything like it. Although the Special effects are now dated, the film itself still stands up well. The image of Clint Eastwood standing laconically at the top of a flight of stairs with submachine gun in hand and pausing for dramatic effect before firing created an indelible memory in a 10 year olds memory. When talking to friends of my age about films, inevitably when this film is mentioned they wholeheartedly agree that it is also one of their favourites.