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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Unconventional, anti-war epic will stay with you...., Jul 4 2003
Film director Sam Peckinpah's career was winding down in 1977 when he shocked international critics with his primitive, unconventional anti-war epic "Cross of Iron." To this day, critics and authors alike don't really no what to make of this ferocious film. At times inspired, at others pretentious, Peckinpah's "Cross of Iron" is kind of the black sheep of classic cinema war flicks - it is difficult to like, but equally deserving of respect.I suppose the legend behind "Cross of Iron" has been told many times. Immediately after viewing this film, Orson Welles fired off a letter to Peckinpah calling it "the greatest anti-war film ever made." I agree with Welles' stance. One can never really relax while watching the muddy carnage of "Cross of Iron." Explosions constantly rattle the sets, dialogue is difficult to hear due to the cries of dying men in the background. Peckinpah's trademark rapid-fire editing, perhaps used a bit too much in this film (if not many of his post-"Wild Bunch" films), will leave viewers shellshocked. Battlefield distractions reign supreme. As a viewer, we are living with these filthy soldiers in the rat and lice infested bunkers. In Peckinpah's "Cross of Iron" universe, told from the viewpoint of German soliders on the Russian front in 1943, there is no glory in war. Cynical men are trying to survive poor leadership, dying German philosophies and the constant thunder of Russain bombs and bullets. James Coburn gives the finest performance of his career as veteran sergeant Steiner. He leads his weary platoon from one skirmish to the next, knowing all is for a lost cause. He rebels against the German leadership, shown in the form of two opposite commanders - one seeking glory (Maximilian Schell), the other survival (James Mason). Due to politics and resentment, Coburn's men find themselves forgotten behind enemy lines. Left for dead, they have to fight their way back to the German front before being completely wiped out by advancing Russian soldiers. What they encounter along the way is unexpected, harsh and eventually tragic. "Cross of Iron" is a superior war film to such classics as "Platoon," "The Big Red One" and "Saving Private Ryan" simply because there is never a moment of true heroism during it's 130-minute running time. Flowery ideals for such bloodshed never become clear. Most importantly, there is never an instant when viewers can relax with the smug comfort that war has purpose. In "Cross of Iron," human life is worth a wooden nickel. There are no heroes. And most terrifying of all, the war which takes place in Peckinpah's unforgettable film is not a war anyone would ever want to be a part of.
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DVD ~ Joseph Vilsmaier
DVD ~ Tony Richardson
DVD ~ John Guillermin
DVD ~ Wolfgang Petersen
DVD ~ Sam Peckinpah
