Night of the Eagle

Night of the Eagle

There are some films you’re going to live your whole life never seeing, never even hearing of. If someone hadn’t pushed old fashioned Brit-horror ‘Night of the Eagle’ into my hand, it’s unlikely I’d have sought it out myself.

The story centers on Norman Taylor, a man who lives a truly charmed life. He climbs the career ladder as a psychology teacher with ease. His Psychological lectures are held in high esteem by all his peers. He lives in an opulent home doted on by his loving wife, Tansy. A wife who also happens to be a white witch.

It’s his wife’s charms and spells that keep him successful. Ironically, Norman doesn’t believe in such superstitious flights of fantasy, which is ultimately his downfall. When he discovers all the magical tokens his wife has left around the house, he forces her to burn them all. Then things start to go wrong.

One of Norman’s female pupil’s accuses him of violating her and tries to get him fired. The girl’s boyfriend draws a pistol on Norman, threatening to kill him. It becomes obvious that Norman is the center of a foul plot that his devoted wife Tansy has been protecting him from. In a display of altruism Tansy offers her life to save her husband. Now, Norman must uncover the plot against him and save his wife, while losing his steadfast scepticism about magic and sorcery.

This is a very low-budget film made in the early sixties, both of which are apparent. The special effects are cheap and cheerful and mostly ineffective (watch out for that giant eagle).
But, it’s the performances and the tense script that make this a movie worth seeing. Peter Wyngrade is brilliant as the proper conservative gentleman watching his proper conservative world unthread. His very core values are crushed before his eyes as he must sacrifice them to save his wife.

There are some plot points that you don’t see coming, which is no mean feat for a film so old. Once you discover who is targeting Norman, the clues all fall cleverly into place.

There is a heavy theme running through the film about the housewife’s sacrifices. During the fifties, the man went out to work while the woman stayed home and kept house. This film shows that without the wife, the man cannot prosper and that her sacrifices are greater than most would acknowledge.

I’m glad that someone told me about this film, or I’d have missed out.

Verdict 8/10
A great little film let down slightly by a tight budget.