Clint Eastwood's third outing in the director's chair – after Play Misty for Me (1971) and Breezy (1973) – is a machismo agent-style thriller with hints of inspiration from the exploitation subgenre. The plot is presented in a crude, unsophisticated manner, typical of Eastwood at this stage of his career, and it frequently plays into (or with) stereotypes, but then redeems itself with refreshing bouts of modesty and self-reflection. It also has an alluring mean streak and some very exciting climbing action to round it off. German actor Reiner Schöne is magnetic as one of Eastwood's climbing partners in their attempt to ascend the Eiger in the Swiss Alps.