|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
|
Product Description
Amazon.com Essential Video
Eye of the Needle is a superbly effective World War II spy thriller from the Ken Follett bestseller of the same name. Donald Sutherland is "the Needle," a German spy in England bearing critical information on Allied invasion plans that he must deliver personally to the Führer. He's so named because of his preferred method of assassination, the stiletto. As played by Sutherland, he's a coldly calculating psychopath, emotionlessly focused on the task at hand, whether the task is to signal a U-boat or to gut a witness to avoid exposure. On his way back to Germany, a fierce storm strands him on an island, occupied only by a woman (Kate Nelligan), her disabled husband, and the lighthouse keeper. A romance of sorts develops between the woman and the spy, due to an estrangement of affections between the woman and her husband, whose accident has rendered him emotionally crippled as well. Much of the suspense of the latter half of the movie has to do with this romance, and the way it begins to reveal the Needle's motivations and whether there's a sympathetic personality buried somewhere inside him, though he remains by-and-large tantalizingly enigmatic. Early on, we discover that he may not enjoy the hand life has dealt him. When a courier asks him about the way he lives, and "What else can one do?" the Needle answers, "One can just stop." But as the film makes amply clear in its final third, one doesn't stop, does one? The direction by Richard Marquand (known primarily for thrillers such as this one and Jagged Edge, although he also did Return of the Jedi) is crisply done, boasting numerous suspenseful episodes, including a deadly encounter between Sutherland and the disabled husband, which is jaw-droppingly surprising. --Jim Gay
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
Well-made spy thriller
Dec 10 2010
Format:DVD
The year is 1944, and a German spy (code-name: "the Needle") has photos that could damage the Allies' plans for D-Day. While trying to get the photos to a U-boat, he is shipwrecked on a remote island off the coast of Scotland, which is home to a disabled man, his lonely wife, and their child.
This movie is very intense and scary, thanks to Donald Sutherland who plays the Needle, a cold and calculating killer who racks up quite a body count. He's convincing even though his British accent isn't. Kate Nelligan costars as the needy wife who rescues him and quickly falls for him. Her British accent is quite good and she is excellent in the part.
The rain-soaked island with waves crashing on its cliffs is picturesque at times and also very claustrophobic and creepy at the end. Miklos Rosza's ("Ben-Hur") chilling score adds to the excitement. The last half hour had me on the edge of my seat. Recommended for those who like WWII thrillers. With violence and nudity.
This movie is very intense and scary, thanks to Donald Sutherland who plays the Needle, a cold and calculating killer who racks up quite a body count. He's convincing even though his British accent isn't. Kate Nelligan costars as the needy wife who rescues him and quickly falls for him. Her British accent is quite good and she is excellent in the part.
The rain-soaked island with waves crashing on its cliffs is picturesque at times and also very claustrophobic and creepy at the end. Miklos Rosza's ("Ben-Hur") chilling score adds to the excitement. The last half hour had me on the edge of my seat. Recommended for those who like WWII thrillers. With violence and nudity.
HURRICANE ON STORM ISLAND
Mar 22 2008
Format:DVD
Early 1980's hit has apparently disappeared. Sutherland plays a World war 2 German spy who comes upon the landing plans for D-Day, As "the eye", all he need do is to be picked up by a German u- boat. Sutherland speaks perfect English and German, and has left a bloody trail around Britain for 4 plus years.Now, he's at it again, commiting 2 more murders, repeatedly seducing a vulnerable woman, all in the name of relaying war instructions from Storm Island to Germany.The finale is unforgettable, a stark movie ending in a fitting fashion. Well cast backup players, most unknown in the USA, play their roles expertly, and Sutherland is Sutherland, the viewer either appreciates his work or doesn't. The background musis, when used at all, is apt, and the photography is vintage British Isles. Pick up a copy for entertainment and/or a good collector's item.
well written WWW2 era love story with well written characters (3.5/5)
Aug 17 2007
Format:DVD
for a WW2 story from 1981,this one is pretty good.it does move slow at
times though.it is also pretty low key for this kind of film.this movie
is much more character driven and relies on its two main players to
really carry the film,and that they do.Donald Sutherland plays a German
spy with ice in his veins who has no problem with murder when it suits
his needs.so really he is also an assassin of sorts.he's sort of a
Carlos the Jackal type character who may have been a real assassin who
was a chameleon and who eluded authorities and was never captured or
possibly even seen.anyway back to the movie.Kate Nelligan plays the
love interest(and more than that) and does well in the role.Christopher
Cazenov plays David,Lucy's(Kate Nelligan) husband in a very strong
supporting performance. the movie has its share of suspense and
action,but again it's low key i found the writing quite good.it's based
on a novel by Ken Follett.one thing that stood out in this movie is its
subtlety.there's no over the top rah rah rah attitude that's evident in
many later movies.but then this is a German/English production and not
an American made movie.the point is,it's refreshing to see a well
written story with well written characters that doesn't bombard your
senses with sentimentality and inspirational pap.i liked this movie
quite a bit.i give "Eye of the Needle" a 3.5/5
times though.it is also pretty low key for this kind of film.this movie
is much more character driven and relies on its two main players to
really carry the film,and that they do.Donald Sutherland plays a German
spy with ice in his veins who has no problem with murder when it suits
his needs.so really he is also an assassin of sorts.he's sort of a
Carlos the Jackal type character who may have been a real assassin who
was a chameleon and who eluded authorities and was never captured or
possibly even seen.anyway back to the movie.Kate Nelligan plays the
love interest(and more than that) and does well in the role.Christopher
Cazenov plays David,Lucy's(Kate Nelligan) husband in a very strong
supporting performance. the movie has its share of suspense and
action,but again it's low key i found the writing quite good.it's based
on a novel by Ken Follett.one thing that stood out in this movie is its
subtlety.there's no over the top rah rah rah attitude that's evident in
many later movies.but then this is a German/English production and not
an American made movie.the point is,it's refreshing to see a well
written story with well written characters that doesn't bombard your
senses with sentimentality and inspirational pap.i liked this movie
quite a bit.i give "Eye of the Needle" a 3.5/5
Want to see more reviews on this item?
Most recent customer reviews
A PIERCING NEEDLE
Donald Sutherland has tended to be one of our finest actors, overlooked and dismissed by many critics. Sure, he's done some floppers (e.g. Read more
Published on Jun 22 2004 by Michael Butts
Happy Petersen
MARVELOUS, keeps you rivitrd to the story. One of my favorite Follrt works. ZThe book is sensational. I edon't have a DVD
Published on April 16 2004 by "2twocool"
Magnificent.
This saga of a German WWII spy is absolutely fantastic. Donald Sutherland turns in a wonderful performance as Faber ( a great performance is not always given by Sutherland). Read more
Published on Feb 3 2003 by "librarian-in-training"
Good 70's thriller
I rented this after having read the book, so my opinion is biased toward the excellent book. But this actually follows the book closely. Read more
Published on Oct 31 2002 by T. SIMPSON
A WWII romantic thriller
The Allies are preparing for the invasion of Normandy and are trying to produce false intelligence to confuse the Nazis. Read more
Published on Sep 16 2002 by Jeffrey Leeper
A butchered classic
I have read the book twice and it is just about the greatest ever, but the movie did it no justice. If you have only seen the movie, you probably have no idea who Godliman or... Read more
Published on July 27 2002 by "gte298z"
Donald Sutherland is magnificent.
Donald Sutherland parade across your TV as a masterful German spy in this wonderful thriller.
This movie is tragic and yet cunningly acted and directed, and all while starring... Read more
Published on July 11 2002 by "teenlibrarian"
Spy Thriller with a Capital 'T'....
...I saw this first in the theatre and I always find myself rearranging my schedule to look at it whenever I see it coming on cable. Read more
Published on May 17 2002 by yygsgsdrassil
"A" or "F" Sutherland In One of His "A"...
Hubby and I long ago nicknamed Donald Sutherland "A or F Sutherland." This is because his movies tend to be either "A"s or "F"s with nothing... Read more
Published on May 26 2001 by carol irvin
Marvellous.
Sutherland and Nelligan are brilliant, in this old favorite of mine. It's the kind of classic spy movie you never get tired of. Read more
Published on Oct 1 2000 by Daisy Ghostly
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Movies & TV > Action & Adventure > Espionage
- Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Country > British Cinema > Action & Adventure
- Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Country > British Cinema > Drama
- Movies & TV > Art House & International > By Country > British Cinema > Mystery & Suspense
- Movies & TV > Drama > Love & Romance
- Movies & TV > En français > Action, Aventure, Policier et Thriller > Action
- Movies & TV > En français > Action, Aventure, Policier et Thriller > Guerre
- Movies & TV > En français > Action, Aventure, Policier et Thriller > Policier et Thriller > Angoisse et Suspense
- Movies & TV > En français > Drame > Drames romantiques
- Movies & TV > Military & War > World War II
- Movies & TV > Mystery & Suspense > Mystery
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
