Cross of Iron
1977 · 2h 13m · Drama, Action, History, War
Watch it. This is a genuinely gripping war film that cuts through propaganda and heroic myths to expose the brutal absurdity of retreat and ambition on the Eastern Front. James Coburn and James Mason are magnetic in their ideological clash, and director Sam Peckinpah brings his signature intensity to the action—it's exactly the kind of character-driven, morally complex war drama that rewards your attention.
Plot
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.
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Cast: James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason, David Warner, Klaus Löwitsch