Synopsis
It is 1943, and the German army—ravaged and demoralised—is hastily retreating from the Russian front. In the midst of the madness, conflict brews between the aristocratic yet ultimately pusillanimous Captain Stransky and the courageous Corporal Steiner. Stransky is the only man who believes that the Third Reich is still vastly superior to the Russian army. However, within his pompous persona lies a quivering coward who longs for the Iron Cross so that he can return to Berlin a hero. Steiner, on the other hand is cynical, defiantly non-conformist and more concerned with the safety of his own men rather than the horde of military decorations offered to him by his superiors.
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Cast
- James CoburnUnteroffizier / Feldwebel Rolf Steiner
- Maximilian SchellHauptmann Stransky
- James MasonOberst Brandt
- David WarnerHauptmann Kiesel
- Klaus LöwitschUnteroffizier Krüger
- Vadim GlownaGefreiter Kern
- Roger FritzLeutnant Treibig
- Dieter SchidorAnselm
- Burkhard DriestSchütze Maag
- Fred StillkrauthUnteroffizier Schnurrbart
Recommendations
- 80
Variety
Cross of Iron more than anything else affirms director Sam Peckinpah's prowess as an action filmmaker of graphic mayhem. - 80
Time Out
Sombre and claustrophobic photography, an intelligent script, and Peckinpah's clear understanding of a working platoon of men, are all far removed from the monotonous simplicity of most big-budget war films. - 80
The Telegraph
Samuel Peckinpah drank four bottles of whisky a day while filming his only war movie, but clearly it did nothing to diminish the power of his last masterpiece, related from the viewpoint of a German platoon retreating from the Russian front in 1943. [05 Apr 2014, p.33] - 78
Austin Chronicle
Cross of Iron is a WWII movie seen through the eyes of German protagonists. Incredible montage sequences and another parable about Peckinpah’s embattled position within the film industry can be found within. - 75
TV Guide Magazine
CROSS OF IRON is anything but a standard WWII movie, especially compared to its mythicizing contemporaries. Shot superbly by cinematographer Coquillon, the film shows war as hideously brutal, inglorious, and insane. - 70
The Observer (UK)
James Mason as the commanding officer and David Warner as his adjutant are both first rate, as are Coburn and Schell. This was Peckinpah's last important work and his only war movie. - 63
Slant Magazine
Cross of Iron would almost seem a proper mea culpa by Peckinpah for his controversial career, and the pre-Dogville closing credit sequence featuring a risible, anti-patriotic photo slideshow reveals a director still capable of new and inventive provocation tactics. - 60
The Guardian
Cross of Iron is an atmospheric, unflinching tale of the German retreat, though its sedate pace holds it back from greatness.
