Rating: 
Summary: classic war actioner
Review: this is an outstanding film,but why does HENS TOOTH only offer this transferred-from-video dreck for dvd? maybe there is not enough demand for it-they wont go through the expense of digitally remastering it.
Rating: 
Summary: I Want the Iron Cross
Review: Cross of Iron can rightly stand along the sides of anti-war films like Paths of Glory and The Thin Red Line where it borrows from the former and has given to the latter. For this reason it forms a very important and integral part of the development of war films that where to precede it because of the chosen subject matter Nazis (the goods guys) versus the Russians (the bad guys). Cross of Iron was the closest thing that Hollywood could deliver on an anti-communist / anti-Russian theme at the time. Making Nazis heroes would somehow maybe seem like bad judgement but really the film is not about good vs. bad and the screenplay goes at length to get this point across. In fact it is the script that really green lights this project and supersedes any suspicion of being an anti-semitic film. Although this movie goes to great lengths to show the horrors of war, the corruption of leadership, and the desires of men, it does sometimes falter into melodrama now and again, however when Cross of Iron is on form the acting is unquestionably solid, by everybody, including the bit part cannon fodder cast members. Some of the dialogue is absolutely remarkable - "God is a Sadist" - "I hate every officer" - "What will we do when we have lost the war?"... Captain Kiesel, "Prepare for the next one."
Any typical Hollywood cliché moments in this movie can thus be forgiven and are entirely consumed by the weight of the plot, technical direction and the outstanding performances of all concerned. Part war film / part psychological assessment it is all about the wastes of war. Captains are ordered to go back to Berlin and hide, to try and save what is left of Germany's best men, to continue the line while lesser men are driven into the field by commanders who hide under tables with radios and then have witnesses falsify documents that can gain them the medal that they want - the iron cross.
It actually hard to describe the premise of this movie as there is much in it to comprehend and repeat viewing is absolutely a must. Sam Peckinpah directs the film entirely from the German view point - there is not a Brit or Yank in sight. Peckinpah, like Paul Verhoeven, has a certain violent style to most of their films. Here Peckinpah made the studio nervous, not because of the subject matter, but because of the violence on display. Cross of Iron is an extremely violent war film. Children and women are shot. Men loose their private parts to Russian women they abuse... quite graphically. The ending is not shy of what the director did for The Wild Bunch.
The story is set during the last days of the Reich with James Coburn playing the rebellious Steiner, who although has the backing of his commanders is also their bane for his insubordination. While trying to keep his squad alive during such bleak times he has to contend to an aristocratic commander, Stransky (Maximilian Schell) who lies to his superiors Brandt (James Mason) and Kiesel (David Warner) so he can get the Iron Cross. Steiner sees this as an act of a coward and focuses all of his hate on this man. The play between the two actors is interesting with many controversial military topics touched upon and many debates as to the nature of war.
Even though the Hollywood behind the strings appears at times there is no doubt that this film lacks the schmaltz element that detracts from war films (such as Saving Private Ryan) and Peckinpah really does bring out the lost feelings in soldiers, the depression, the claustrophobia of it all with a very bleak tone to the film stock itself. This is one of the darkest war films you will every likely see with some psychedelic flashback type editing that illustrates the post traumatic stress syndrome vividly.
This is Unquestionably, Most Excellent Cinema and one of Pekinpah's finest moments. I rate it up there with Straw Dogs and The Wild Bunch no problem. If you have not seen it then you should. This isn't your average war film by a long shot.
Rating:
Summary: War, Death and Men
Review: This is a wonderful film, I saw it when I was in my teens and it left a lasting impression on me, especially the wonderful performance by Coburn who was a fabulous actor. He is invaluable in this role and his face and presentation embodies Steiner completely. Steiner is the existentialist anti-hero, anti-authority and bearing the marks of a cynic, he nonetheless cares about the fate of his men in a war that is absurd. From stupid and vain superior officers, to petty infighting amongst one's own ranks, this film embodies war not as something heroic, but as something solitary and individual. . . . .
Rating:
Summary: The German Side
Review: From the wonderfully accuarate opening scenes to the depressing ending, this movie pretty much sums up the feeling of doom that the average German front line soldat must have felt. The uniforms are pretty realistic and the Russian T-34-85s are very rarely shown in war films. If you enjoy viewing WW2 from the German side, buy this DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Action on the Eastern Front
Review: It takes guts for a film director to make a WWII film from the German perspective, but Peckinpah had plenty and pulled it off quite well. The setting is in Crimea during the 1943 Russian counter offensive against retreating German troops. German forces are demoralized after the 6th Army's collapse and complete surrender at Stalingrad. The German's main objective now is retreat and survival, not the expansion of the Aryan culture and master race.
Sgt. Steiner (James Coburn) is a complex character and the paradox of the ideal soldier. He hates the rigid hierarchy of military order but is the best fighting man on the field 'Do you know how much I hate this uniform and everything it stands for?' Keeping his men safe is his main concern and he could care less about the war or the party's ideology. In addition to worrying about the evermore certain Russian counter offensive, Steiner is under the command of a glory hunting Prussian 'Junker' aristocrat(Maximillian Schell)who will stop at nothing to get his share of glory before the war wraps up. Too cowardly to earn his iron cross with courage, he tries to manipulate Steiner and others to vouch for his false claims of courageous deeds. When Steiner refuses, Stransky stops at nothing to make sure he disappears.
This is a typical blood and guts, man's world, do or die, Penckinpah movie (e.g. 'The Wild Bunch', 'Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia). Although Peckinpah emphasizes on the horror and futility of war, the film's portrayal of the human condition is quite cynical. Peckinpah seems to suggest that war, as horrid as it is, is a fundamental part of human nature and that such a reality is unlikely to change any time soon. This theme is reflected in dialogue such as Q: 'What will we do when we lose this war?' A: 'Prepare for the next one' or Q: 'Do you love the war so much? Or are you afraid of what you will become without it?'. Another great line: Q: 'Do you think there's a god Steiner?' A: 'I think God is a sadist but probably just doesn't realize it.' The movie is older and has limitations in film quality but it is very well directed. If you like action, this is a movie to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Peckinpah's last triumph
Review: I would rate it 3.5 stars, because it's better than average as compared to other ww2 films however there are a few small problems I have with this movie. First off, the opening minutes contain scenes of implied homosexulaity between the german soldiers. I'm not sure the accuracy of this, although no doubt it probably did happen, but seems to be a fairly important point thoughout parts of this movie. If this is supposed to further convince the audience of the depraved nature of the soldiers, it works in that regard but it is quite obvious that they are depraved anyway and that added nothing to the storyline nor to the plot.The other problem I have is, although most of the battle scenes contain close to accurate german and russian weapons, the overhead bombing scenes contain shots of U.S. navy corsairs dropping bombs. These were probably stock footage taken from a navy film and look horribly out-of place here. But despite those two issues, most of the rest of the movie is good and portrays an accurate, interesting and engaging portrait of battle in the russian theatre during ww2. I especially liked the use of light as most of the battle scenes were shot as daytime attacks and that indeed was the way it happened on the russian front. The sneak attack at the bridge by Steiner's platoon was filmed and sequenced to show all of the moves by the attackers, leaving nothing hidden or off camera. Certainly an interesting way to portray this kind of sequence and it came out quite effectively. Sam Peckinpah uses the slow motion to good effect and has indeed changed the face of war films circa 1977. Every war movie that was released after this movie tends to show a more grimmer and graphic view of war and that is certainly how it should be done as there is nothing glorious or heroic about war. Those are the words used by the politicians that order people to fight each other to the death. Great casting, excellent camera work and a good story combined with music that adds a sense of innocence lost and horror to the subject, all ad up to not quite a classic but a very good depiction of ww2 battle action in the Russian theatre.
|
