Eye of the Needle

1981

1h 48m

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

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45 Images

Drama

Thriller

Great Britain, 1944, during World War II. Relentlessly pursued by several MI5 agents, Henry Faber the Needle, a ruthless German spy in possession of vital information about D-Day, takes refuge on Storm Island, an inhospitable, sparsely inhabited island off the coast of northern Scotland.

Directors

Richard Marquand

Writers

Stanley Mann(screenplay by)

Ken Follett(novel by)

Stars

Donald Sutherland

Kate Nelligan

Ian Bannen

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Videos2

Trailer
Watch Eye of the Needle (1981) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
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Photos45

Top cast

Faber

Lucy

Godliman

David

Lucy's Mother

Mrs. Garden

Canter

Tom

Billy Parkin

Lieutenant

Lucy's Father

David's Mother

Constable

Peterson

Oliphant

German SS Officer

German Radio Operator

Patrick Connor

Inspector Harris

Directors

Richard Marquand

Writers

Stanley Mann(screenplay by)

Ken Follett(novel by)

All cast & crew

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User reviews1

Review

Featured review

8/10

**_To kill and love during WW2 with Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan_** A German spy in Britain (Sutherland) has strategic info on the D-Day landing in 1944. As he tries to elude the authorities, he stumbles on a couple living remotely near the coast (Nelligan and Christopher Cazenove). Will he make it out? Who will live and who will die? "Eye of the Needle” (1981) is a war drama/thriller, but not a conventional war movie. The plot has similarities to “The Eagle Has Landed” (1976) with the same actor as the spy (Sutherland). It’s almost as if they’re the same character. The difference is that “Eagle” features military combat whereas this one is decidedly a spy-on-the-run flick with the thrills thereof. Like “Eagle,” this is easily one of Sutherland’s top movies. The British scenery is awesome, the palette is colorful, the adventure is compelling, the drama/romance is good and the suspense is off-the-charts in the final act. There are elements of “The Eagle Has Landed,” “The Heroes of Telemark” (1965) and the later “The House on Carroll Street” (1988). If you like these flicks, this is a must; it’s as good or better than any of ’em. The film runs 1 hour, 52 minutes, and was shot in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, which is located in southwest Scotland, including Oban, nearby Connel Bridge and the Isle of Mull. Studio stuff was done in England in the greater London area, as well as the airport scene filmed at Blackbushe Airport. GRADE: A-

Wuchak27 Apr, 2023