The Eiger Sanction
Dr. Jonathan Hemlock (Clint Eastwood) is an art history professor and collector who finances his hobby by performing the odd sanction (assassination) for an obscure government bureau. He is forced to take a case where he must find out which of the members of a mountain climbing team is the Russian killer he has been given as a target by joining an expedition to climb the treacherous Eiger.
Working with a small-scale budget of $9.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $14.2M in global revenue (+58% profit margin).
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Eiger Sanction (1975) exhibits deliberately positioned narrative design, characteristic of Clint Eastwood's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 9 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.5, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Jonathan Hemlock
Ben Bowman
Jemima Brown
Dragon
Miles Mellough
Karl Freytag
Jean-Paul Montaigne
Main Cast & Characters
Jonathan Hemlock
Played by Clint Eastwood
A retired assassin and art professor forced back into one last sanction mission on the Eiger mountain.
Ben Bowman
Played by George Kennedy
A former climbing partner and desert guide who trains Hemlock for the treacherous Eiger climb.
Jemima Brown
Played by Vonetta McGee
A mysterious woman with a shifting agenda who becomes romantically involved with Hemlock.
Dragon
Played by Thayer David
The albino spymaster who blackmails Hemlock into performing assassination missions.
Miles Mellough
Played by Jack Cassidy
A former agent turned traitor who betrayed Hemlock and now participates in the Eiger climb.
Karl Freytag
Played by Reiner Schöne
An Austrian climber and one of the team members on the Eiger ascent.
Jean-Paul Montaigne
Played by Jean-Pierre Bernard
A French climber who leads the Eiger climbing expedition.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Jonathan Hemlock is introduced as a sophisticated art professor lecturing to students, his refined academic life masking his violent past as a government assassin.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Dragon reveals that Hemlock's art collection was obtained through illegal channels and blackmails him into performing a sanction in Zurich, destroying his peaceful retirement.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 32 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Hemlock accepts the second sanction and commits to climbing the Eiger, traveling to Arizona to train with his old friend Ben Bowman, fully re-entering the assassin's world., moving from reaction to action.
At 65 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat Hemlock arrives in Switzerland and meets the climbing team - Freytag, Montaigne, and Meyer. He realizes any of them could be his target, and the false defeat begins as he cannot identify who to kill., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 97 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, During a brutal storm on the north face, one climber falls to his death, and Hemlock learns the mission was compromised from the start. The mountain has become a death trap with betrayal on all sides., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 103 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Hemlock realizes the true identity of the enemy agent and understands the full scope of the betrayal. With clarity about his real target, he commits to completing the mission and surviving., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Eiger Sanction's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping The Eiger Sanction against these established plot points, we can identify how Clint Eastwood utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Eiger Sanction within the action genre.
Clint Eastwood's Structural Approach
Among the 32 Clint Eastwood films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 6.5, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. The Eiger Sanction takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Clint Eastwood filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots and Venom: The Last Dance. For more Clint Eastwood analyses, see True Crime, Million Dollar Baby and The Gauntlet.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Jonathan Hemlock is introduced as a sophisticated art professor lecturing to students, his refined academic life masking his violent past as a government assassin.
Theme
Dragon tells Hemlock that everyone has a price and can be bought - establishing the theme that moral compromise comes at a cost, and that past sins cannot be escaped.
Worldbuilding
Hemlock's dual life is established: his passion for collecting rare art, his academic career, and his past as C2's top assassin. Dragon's bizarre albino headquarters and the agency's ruthless methods are revealed.
Disruption
Dragon reveals that Hemlock's art collection was obtained through illegal channels and blackmails him into performing a sanction in Zurich, destroying his peaceful retirement.
Resistance
Hemlock debates returning to his former life, completes the Zurich sanction, and learns his next target is one of three climbers on an Eiger expedition. He must prepare for the deadly climb.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Hemlock accepts the second sanction and commits to climbing the Eiger, traveling to Arizona to train with his old friend Ben Bowman, fully re-entering the assassin's world.
Mirror World
Hemlock meets Jemima Brown, a free-spirited woman at Ben's ranch. Their developing romance represents the possibility of genuine human connection versus his isolated, violent existence.
Premise
Hemlock trains intensively in the Arizona desert, reconnects with climbing, and enjoys his relationship with Jemima. He investigates the three potential targets while preparing his body for the Eiger.
Midpoint
Hemlock arrives in Switzerland and meets the climbing team - Freytag, Montaigne, and Meyer. He realizes any of them could be his target, and the false defeat begins as he cannot identify who to kill.
Opposition
The Eiger climb begins and becomes increasingly treacherous. The climbers face deadly conditions, rockfall, and storms. Hemlock struggles to identify his target while survival becomes paramount.
Collapse
During a brutal storm on the north face, one climber falls to his death, and Hemlock learns the mission was compromised from the start. The mountain has become a death trap with betrayal on all sides.
Crisis
Trapped on the Eiger's face in deteriorating conditions, Hemlock confronts the reality that he may have been set up to die. The remaining climbers struggle to survive as rescue seems impossible.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Hemlock realizes the true identity of the enemy agent and understands the full scope of the betrayal. With clarity about his real target, he commits to completing the mission and surviving.
Synthesis
Hemlock executes the sanction on the mountain, survives the harrowing descent, and returns to confront those who betrayed him, including his treacherous associate Miles Mellough.
Transformation
Hemlock walks away from the spy world for good, having settled all scores. Unlike the opening image of a man trapped by his past, he is now free - his debts paid and his integrity reclaimed.