Eye of the Needle (1981)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Richard Marquand

Writers:

Ken Follett (novel)
Stanley Mann (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 July 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | War

Tagline:

Codename: "The Needle". Only one person can stop him: The woman who loves him !

Plot:

A ruthless German spy, trying to get out of Britain with vital information about D-Day, must spend time with a young woman and her crippled husband.

Plot Keywords:

German | D Day | Spy | Murder | WWII

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Donald Sutherland	...	Faber
Stephen MacKenna	...	Lieutenant
Philip Martin Brown	...	Billy Parkin
Kate Nelligan	...	Lucy
Christopher Cazenove	...	David
George Belbin	...	Lucy's Father
Faith Brook	...	Lucy's Mother
Barbara Graley	...	David's Mother
George Lee	...	Constable
Arthur Lovegrove	...	Peterson
Colin Rix	...	Oliphant
Barbara Ewing	...	Mrs. Garden
Chris Jenkinson	...	German SS Officer
William Merrow	...	German Radio Operator
Patrick Connor	...	Inspector Harris

Also Known As:

Die Nadel (West Germany) [de]
Door 't oog van de naald (Netherlands) [nl]
El ojo de la aguja (Spain) [es]
Igla (Poland) [pl]
L'arme à l'oeil (France) [fr]
L'ull de l'agulla (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
La cruna dell'ago (Italy) [it]
Nålens öga (Sweden) [sv]
Neulansilmä (Finland) [fi]
O Buraco da Agulha (Brazil) [pt]
Tû a szénakazalban (Hungary) [hu]
To mati tis velonas (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

UK

Language:

German | English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:16 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | USA:R (certificate #26243) | Netherlands:12 | South Africa:16LV | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Blackbush Airport, Hampshire, England, UK

Company:

Kings Road Entertainment

Trivia:

First full length feature of Bill Nighy.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Several of the trains shown in the film are in British Railways livery but British Railways was not formed until 1948.

Quotes:

Faber: The war has come down to the two of us.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Night at the Movies: The Suspenseful World of Thrillers (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

For He's a Jolly Good Fellow

A Surprisingly Good Wartime Thriller

This film about a German agent trying to escape from Britain might seem to offer limited scope for interest, but Sutherland's menacing performance and the events on the island turn it into something approaching a study in psychopathy, laden with uncertainty and fear. The vulnerability of Lucy (Kate Nelligan, a sensitive and intelligent but definitely pre-feminist woman helps to give the film an added poignancy. Sutherland's performance is such that we are always fascinated by the damaged and ruthless character he portrays. Those who dislike war films may find themselves surprised by this film.