Director Sam Peckinpah's only war movie tackles the relatively obscure fighting on World War II's Russian Front. The historical brutality of these fight-to-the-death battles make for a fine showcase of Peckinpah's film techniques. A close adaption...
[+] Read Full Review

Director Sam Peckinpah's only war movie tackles the relatively obscure fighting on World War II's Russian Front. The historical brutality of these fight-to-the-death battles make for a fine showcase of Peckinpah's film techniques. A close adaption of the German novel by the same name, "Cross of Iron" neither avoids nor sensationalizes the carnage and violence that dominated this conflict until the very end.
Excellent casting shines in this film. James Coburn is perfect for the part of Sgt. Steiner, the decorated squad leader who knows his duty but also knows that there are limits as to what his men can do. His antagonist, Captain Stransky, is played equally well by Maximilian Schell.The conlict between these two often overshadows the actual battles taking place around them.
There are some great battle scenes here, one of the best being a duel between Steiner's squad and a troop of T-34 tanks in a demolished factory. All of the equipment looks real, including the use of actual T-34 tanks.
"Cross of Iron" isn't a great movie. At times, the script is weak and the editing is rather odd. But, there are very few WWII films told from the perspective of the German Soldier, and even fewer taking place on the Russian Front. This equally obscure movie is well worth seeing by those interested in such things, but be aware that it's a little rough around the edges.