HIDDEN GEM WAR FILM PACKED FULL OF HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY AIRING ON BBC TONIGHT

A war film described by film fans as 'powerful' and 'superb' is on BBC4 tonight.

The Eagle Has Landed, released in 2017 and a re-release of 1976, stars Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland, and Robert Duvall, alongside Jenny Agutter, Donald Pleasence, and Treat Williams. During World War II, Nazi officer Max Radl (Robert Duvall) devises a plan to kidnap or kill the British prime minister.

Approved by German Commander Heinrich Himmler (Donald Pleasence), the scheme moves forward with Col. Kurt Steiner (Michael Caine) leading the mission, aided by Liam Devlin (Donald Sutherland), an Irishman with a deep hatred of England. As the plan unfolds, it seems to be going well until certain events threaten the group's shot at success.

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The film is said to draw parallels to the real German rescue of Mussolini from Gran Sasso in 1943. The original release in the 1970s was a major box office success and cult classic, notable for its suspense and characters. The reviews from film fans have given it high praise, with the movie earning a 71% score on film ratings website Rotten Tomatoes.

One five star review on the website said: "Its a brilliant lazy afternoon war film packed with actors you recognise and a wonderful performance from Larry Hagman." Another shared: "Watched the film for the first time recently. It was better than I thought. Great cast and moves quickly."

"This is as much a thriller as a 'war movie'," said a third. "It has great characters, a wonderful soundtrack and has an authentic vibe throughout. Suspect negative reviews are from gamers. This film requires thought and attention to fully enjoy. The book is Higgins best and is a really enjoyable read."

A fourth posted: "A powerful beginning, great build-up, an interesting side-story to keep us interested and great finishing action sequences make for a World War II movie that is well worth seeing, even if it wraps up rather anti-climactically." Another shared: "Another superb film, with Michael Caine in top form. Many great performances in this one."

"Michael Caine and Robert Duvall are two of my favourite actors of all time and yet somehow, Donald Sutherland totally steals the show. Awesome story out of the WW2 era. Not your typical boring war movie either," said another. Another shared: "This is one of those movies that somebody tells you exists, and you don't believe it exists, and then you see it, and you don't believe it exists. Starring Michael Caine as "The Nazi with a Heart of Gold."

Another film fan wrote: "Based on a Jack Higgins book (which I loved), it is a good ensemble based World War II about the German plot to kidnap Winston Churchill. Neat that it is told from the German's point of view. Ending could be better bit overall if you like films like The Dirty Dozen or The Great Escape, then give this a go. A young Michael Caine is good but Donald Sutherland steals the show."

The Eagle Has Landed airs on Thursday 8 January on BBC4 at 10.30pm.

2026-01-08T08:13:43Z