When Eight Bells Toll (1971)

Thanks for the memories!

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Having trouble in engaging myself in the start of this movie, being a dramatization of the Alistair MacLean novel, it soon grew on me. The funny understatements back at the headquarters I immediately started loving.On the cover of this Norwegian edition DVD it's stated that MacLean has had18 of his novels made into films. I think this a successful adaption, though over shone by "The guns of Navarone" and "Where eagles dare". That said, it's a pity that his most exiting novel "Night without end" from 1959. Shurely it would be a great film to make even today.This is very like an 70'ies James Bond-film, where we meet Anthony Hopkins as an agent, not very unlike James Bond. There's even a Bond-girl. He is sent up to a rural part of coastal Scotland, MacLeans native country, to investigate why there are so many ships getting lost up there. He gets to find himself not very well welcome.I think Robert Morley is magnificent in his role as Uncle Arthur, and so is Anthony Hopkins as agent Philip Calvert, which have naturally bad manners, according to his boss, being born to a lesser class. Uncle Arthur's Lines are hilarious, and much wittier than his equals in James Bond-movies.Agent Calvert kills off bad guys like puppets on a chain (!), and the film keeps the mystery for a long time, making the ride an interesting one. This tells me Hopkins could have been a great Bond.The film is very time typical of early 70'ies, and it's a lovely coast and salty water film. You literary smell the salty sea water. It gets more entertaining and exciting as the film proceeds, and I think that it's a great period piece to watch.Recommended for those enjoying classics!

watching this film for the first time, I'm enjoying this flick enormously, Philip Calvert as a hard man who gets the job the done, isn't afraid to disobey orders and with the wonderful Robert Morley as his boss.as i write it its all very James bond, Hopkins handling the job very well, Morley hamming it up as only he can.like all Alastair McLean films - I'm finding it very watchable, a pity no more films about Calvert's exploits have been made, as he is everything James bond is, without the gimmicks, and its all home based, no flash locations - just a man with a job to do and he ain't afraid to bend the rules to do it.I'm half way in to the film - i don't want it to end ..

While When Eight Bells Toll is not a masterpiece in my eyes, I myself would hardly call it a dud. Perhaps a little too short, and I do agree that some of the fight scenes leave you wanting more and some scenes such as the wooden boat exploding do make you raise your eyebrows as if to say "just why did they do that?", however there is a huge amount to redeem it.I have to say When Eight Bells Toll is likable and entertaining for what it is. It has superb location shooting and a rousing score. It has an interesting and exciting plot, brisk pacing, decent direction and sharp and cynical dialogue. It also has the great Anthony Hopkins playing a role atypical to any other he's played. No-nonsense and a hero in a sense, Calvert as a character is very entertaining and likable and Hopkins is exactly that too. Even better is Robert Morley who provides a deliciously comic turn as Calvert's spy-master, while Nathalie Delon is beautiful and luscious as the lovely Charlotte.Overall, an entertaining film. 7/10 Bethany Cox

When this movie was produced James Bond was still fashionable and you can't help thinking the studio was trying to muscle in on a market for a series of gritty , more down to earth and more realistic secret agent anti-hero in the shape of Phillip Calvert . Hmmm You can see here the problem lies . While Bond was stopping megalomaniacs from starting WW3 Calvert is on a mission to stop smugglers from smuggling . Rather small fry in comparison and hands up who thinks remote Scottish islands are somehow exotic ? I did say WHEN 8 BELLS TOLL is trying to be gritty and realistic but would real life smugglers be so ruthless as seen here ? You also can't help noticing how limited the concept of a down to earth secret agent plot is . By being realistic there's not a lot of mileage or box office profit to be had competing in the shadow of Ian FlemingThat's not to say this is a bad film because it's not and I always find myself watching it when it receives rare showings on British network . It's just that everything is a little bit flat compared with the James Bond series , a series that isn't ashamed to make itself look ridiculous while entertaining the audience