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When Eight Bells Toll [1971]


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Entertaining, Underrated Alistair Maclean Thriller!!
Review date: 2008-04-11 Rating: 8 out of 10

What a Pleasant Surprise it was to view this Movie!!..I am a Big fan of Alistair Maclean's novels; and have enjoyed many of the film adaptations; even if many have been seriously lacking in certain respects.....I had Never heard of this particular film (Did it even get an American release?); but stumbled upon it while shopping on Amazon's UK site (where it costs MUCH less than on the US Amazon site!)....Once again, I'm grateful to have my All-Region DVD Player; as it is doubtful this little gem will get a Stateside release any time soon; even with a very young and dynamic Anthony Hopkins in the leading hero role....I can't add much to the other reviews posted here; except to say this film is a resounding success on almost ALL levels...Acting, scripting, locations, action sequences, photography, and film score.....A VERY Entertaining Action-Adventure thriller; with a look at what Hopkins might have done with the James Bond role....I will also mention that this Region 2 Carlton DVD release presents the film in all it's original Widescreen 2.35 Glory, with a crisp and beautiful anamorphic transfer; contrary to the 1.33 full screen posted in the product description.....Way to go!!!

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Reviews


Classic MacLean! One of his best screen adaptations
Review date: 2008-01-08 Rating: 10 out of 10

A fast-paced action movie, with thrills, spills and chills, filmed against the backdrop of the stormy north atlantic seas, and the rugged scenery around the north-west scottish islands. Sharp performances by Anthony Hopkins and the rest of the cast keep the pace alive. The maritime setting, with ships, breakers, rocky coasts, gulls, and stormy seas puts you where you can feel the cold north wind and the spray from the breakers. Don't want to reveal the plot, I'll just say this: don't miss out on this DVD! It's classic maritime MacLean!

Anthony Hopkins deals out death in the Scottish Highlands and foils a ruthless plot in this scenic, slightly confusing thriller
Review date: 2007-12-28 Rating: 8 out of 10

Even at 34 Anthony Hopkins made an unlikely hero for a rousing adventure thriller such as When Eight Bells Toll, based on the book by Alistair Maclean. Hopkins face looks so young, with even a hint of cherubic baby fat. His height and build are only average. And 36 years later it's hard to erase the knowledge of the future Hannibal Lecter, James Stevens, Henry Wilcox and Titus Andronicus, or for that matter much of the dreck he's been appearing in these last few years.

Still, Hopkins carries off the role of Commander Philip Calvert, an agent for British Naval Intelligence, with aplomb. First, Hopkins can act. He's completely assured in a role which sometimes calls for the suspension of belief. His voice is quick and confident. He knows how to underplay. Second, he's physically quick. The role calls for a lot of clambering up and down cliffs, running up staircases and along paths, swimming in a scuba outfit and engaging bad guys in fistfights. There are enough medium shots to see that Hopkins is doing a great deal of the action himself. Third, he's intelligent and gives an intelligent performance.

Why is Calvert doing all this stuff? Because gold bullion is being pirated from ships off the coast of Scotland's western highlands. Calvert, tough, disrespectful of authority, as unintimidated by Naval bureaucracy as he is by killers, is sent in undercover to investigate. What he finds, aided by a young Naval helper (and we know the fate that always awaits young helpers), involves Sir Anthony Skouras (Jack Hawkins), a very rich tycoon on a plush yacht anchored in a stormy loch, Charlotte (Nathalie Delon), introduced as Sir Anthony's young wife, and Lord Charnley (Derek Bond), who appears to be Sir Anthony's great and good friend. Occasionally checking in with Calvert is his boss in London, a fat and seemingly complaisant spymaster called Uncle Albert (Robert Morley). When Calvert, suspicions aroused, requests that Sir Anthony be vetted, Uncle Albert is deeply offended. "He's a member of my club! He's on the wine committee!" In an amusing plot development, Uncle Albert winds up coming to the loch to find out what's really going on. Since by now Calvert's young sidekick (played by a young Corin Redgrave) is no longer with us, Uncle Albert winds up doing a bit of careful violence. Considering Morley's corpulence and often officious roles he usually played, it was a pleasure witnessing his cautious but ready steadfastness.

The search for the gold and for the mastermind takes Philip Calvert through some of Scotland's mistiest, coldest-looking and rockiest sea-swept scenery, from a desolate cemetery and a desperate fight with two goons to deep under water in a scuba outfit and into the bowels of a deliberately sunken ship and another desperate fight, this time with a goon in a diving suit. There's even a flaming helicopter crash into the cold, murky loch waters. Calvert eventually puzzles out the murderous scheme, but not before there are plot twists, turns and roundabouts. Along the way, Calvert deals out death by shooting and knifing, by throwing overboard, by neck cracking, by underwater acetylene torch and even by crossbow. Calvert is not a man to find yourself between him and his objective.

When Eight Bells Toll isn't a great adventure thriller, but within its own limits it's entertaining. Those limits are the same as in most of the many other adventure thrillers by Maclean...headlong plots that don't stop for anything, regular intervals of vivid violence and escapes, unexpected betrayals, loose ends that stay loose, a certain level of confusion about what exactly is happening, minimal significant female involvement and no sex. He wrote the screenplay for this one and often worked on the screenplays for the movies made from his books. Think Ice Station Zebra, The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare and quite a few others. Personally, I still like his first, HMS Ulysses, published in 1955. He cranked out nearly a book a year until he died in 1987. The last 20 or so, in my opinion, were little more than recycled quickies, predictable and uninteresting.

The one disquieting and poignant note is watching Jack Hawkins, a first-rate actor, as Sir Anthony Skouras. Hawkins was a beefy man with a distinctive, raspy voice. He smoked 60 cigarettes a day at one time. In 1965 surgeons removed his larynx because of cancer. He no longer could speak. Hawkins continued to act until his death in 1973. Charles Gray, a character actor and friend of Hawkins, usually dubbed his voice. Gray provides Hawkins' voice in When Eight Bells Toll.

The picture transfer is easy to watch but nothing special. It seemed to me that the audio could have used some work. There are no significant extras.

Great Film!
Review date: 2007-04-02 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is a film of an Alister Maclean novel. Anthony Hopkins (007 like) plays a secret service agent tasked with solving the pirating of millions of pounds of gold bullion in Scottish Islands. This search takes Hopkins to remote locations which make you want to go yourself!

It is very much a 'James Bond' type film - well worth buying.

Just Average...
Review date: 2006-05-10 Rating: 6 out of 10

I watched this recently and was a little disappointed.It hasn't dated well and the over the top music doesn't help.Its based on an excellent novel by Alaister McLean but the film for me is slightly unconvincing.Anthony Hopkins does well in the lead role and is well supported by others especially Robert Morley.I think the film however is let down by the lead character played by Hopkins.He is just too invincible, a little on the lines of James Bond and it makes the film seem a little 'tongue in cheek'.Hopkins at times is a little bit too carefree about everything.This would have been down to the directing of the film and I can't fault Hopkins for his part.
Overall though not the worst I've ever seen by far.If your a Hopkins fan like me you will probably enjoy this.Another chance to see the master in action!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Jack Hawkins
Robert Morley
Corin Redgrave
Nathalie Delon
Anthony Hopkins

Creators:
Anthony Hopkins (Primary Contributor)
Jack Hawkins (Primary Contributor)
Arthur Ibbetson (Cinematographer)
John Shirley (Editor)
Denis Holt (Producer)
Elliott Kastner (Producer)
Jerry Gershwin (Producer)
Alistair MacLean (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: ITV DVD
Manufacturer: ITV DVD
EAN: 5037115060631
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2004-05-17
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 90 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1972-03-24
Language: English (Original Language)

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