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Eye of the Needle Poster

Eye of the Needle

To love a stranger is easy. To kill a lover is not.
1981 | 108m | English

(13751 votes)

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Popularity: 3 (history)

Details

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.
Release Date: Jul 24, 1981
Director: Richard Marquand
Writer: Stanley Mann, Ken Follett
Genres: Drama, Thriller
Keywords submarine, based on novel or book, husband wife relationship, world war ii, d-day, nazi spy, cold blooded killer, 1940s, isolated island
Production Companies Kings Road Entertainment, Juniper Films
Box Office Revenue: $18,000,000
Budget: $0
Updates Updated: Aug 04, 2025
Entered: Apr 13, 2024
Trailers and Extras

International Posters

Full Credits

Name Character
Donald Sutherland Faber
Kate Nelligan Lucy
Ian Bannen Godliman
Christopher Cazenove David
Faith Brook Lucy's Mother
Barbara Ewing Mrs. Garden
David Hayman Canter
Alex McCrindle Tom
Philip Martin Brown Billy Parkin
Stephen MacKenna Lieutenant
George Belbin Lucy's Father
Barbara Graley David's Mother
George Lee Constable
Arthur Lovegrove Peterson
Colin Rix Oliphant
Chris Jenkinson German SS Officer
William Merrow German Radio Operator
Patrick Connor Inspector Harris
Rupert Frazer Muller
Jonathan Nicholas Haley Jo
John Bennett Kleinmann
Sam Kydd Lock Keeper
John Paul Home Guard Captain
Richard Graydon Home Guard Private
Michael Mellinger Portuguese Man
Allan Surtees Colonel Terry
Don Fellows American Colonel
Stewart Harwood Sailor #1
Rik Mayall Sailor #2
Rory Edwards Sailor #3
Ellis Dale Station Master
Bill Fraser Mr. Porter
Michael Josephs German Naval Captain
John Rees German Naval Operator
John Grieve Inspector Kincaid
Bruce White Oban Policeman
David Ashton Oban Radio Operator
Bill Nighy Squadron Leader Blenkinsop
Stephen Phillips Home Guard Corporal
Name Job
Stanley Mann Screenplay
Richard Marquand Director
Miklós Rózsa Original Music Composer
Wilfred Shingleton Production Design
John Hoesli Art Direction
Jennifer Patrick Dialogue Coach
John Comfort Production Manager
Claude Hitchcock Sound Recordist
John Bloomfield Costume Designer
Anthony Squire Second Unit Director
Wally Schneiderman Makeup Artist
Mark Nelson Hairstylist
George Gibbs Special Effects Supervisor
Valerie Booth Continuity
David Farrell Still Photographer
Ken Pattenden Construction Manager
William Lang Location Manager
Bob Bremner Gaffer
Sean Barton Editor
Bert Davey Art Direction
Hugh Scaife Set Decoration
Claude Hudson Production Supervisor
Roger Simons Assistant Director
Mike Frift Focus Puller
Gerry Humphreys Sound Re-Recording Mixer
Celestia Fox Casting Director
Jack Lowin Second Unit Cinematographer
Beryl Lerman Makeup Artist
Joan Carpenter Hairstylist
Angela Allen Continuity
Eddie Stacey Stunt Coordinator
Nick Hosker Assistant Editor
Ken Softley Construction Manager
Lee Bolon Location Manager
Ken Follett Novel
Alan Hume Director of Photography
Alec Mills Camera Operator
Name Title
Stephen J. Friedman Producer
Organization Category Person
Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 4 18 28 14
2024 5 19 31 12
2024 6 21 39 12
2024 7 21 33 13
2024 8 19 41 11
2024 9 13 18 10
2024 10 20 34 11
2024 11 15 35 9
2024 12 13 21 8
2025 1 13 25 8
2025 2 9 15 3
2025 3 5 13 1
2025 4 1 1 1
2025 5 1 2 1
2025 6 1 2 1
2025 7 1 2 0
2025 8 1 2 1
2025 9 2 2 1
2025 10 2 4 1

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Reviews

Wuchak
8.0

**_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 h ... e 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-

Apr 27, 2023