Rating: 
Summary: Epic Russian Front Film
Review: Okay, this film is flawed by really bad editing and some scenes that defy description, but it has some parts that are terrific.
Peckinpah (one of my favorite directors) was having a lot of problems while filming this, budget cuts, cast problems and script issues that some of the actors got involved with.
Coburn is pretty good as Sgt Steiner, and there are plenty of great battle scenes and hordes of Russians and T-34 tanks galore. The squad of Germans under Coburn represent a good selection of crusty and tough-looking soldiers.
The officers are shown as "let's keep inside the bunker and phone out our orders" that hindered the German army at that time in many places.
Over all, I would say this is a classic that could have been. I recently purchased the VHS copy then was delighted with the DVD I just received. Worth seeing despite the editing issues.
Rating: 
Summary: man is wolf of man
Review: Orson Wells has said:"cross of iron" is the best untiwar movie in all of the world!About 2 hours we see ourselves as other natural creatures that kills and be killed for a little more life without any reasonable(scientifie reason-not historical,political, economical or... reason)aspect.Dont forget that if we open the book of man,s history only blood comes out and Peckinpah is the giant of this scene!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointingly rote.
Review: A group of German soldiers is trapped in Russian territory in this WWII drama from Sam Peckinpah. No doubt, the battle scenes are mostly excellent (for such a low budget), but the acting is pretty awful (James Coburn's German accent disappears slowly but surely), the sets are cheap and shaky-looking, and there's nothing about it thematically that distinguishes it from any other war film. The worst aspect must be the lack of a resolution, which I hear was due to shortage of money.
Rating:
Summary: 5 STARS ARE FOR THE FILM NOT THE DISC
Review: I haven't seen the American DVD. All I can say is if you want to get a perfectly decent widescreen transfer on DVD get the UK Region 2 copy. No real extras, but some nice production pictures.
Rating:
Summary: One line that says it all....
Review: "Steiner, do you believe in God?" Here it comes..... "I believe God is a sadist, but probably doesn't even know it." What more can I say? This movie will not be to everyone's taste but I would still recommend you to see it. And then read the book....
Rating:
Summary: Not Peckinpah's best
Review: This movie didn't do much to stir me. It's billed as an anti-war film from the German perspective, but I think it tries just a bit too hard. James Coburn is not unconvincing as a German army sergeant, but his antagonist, Maximillian Schell, who plays a German captain obsessed with earning the iron cross medal, seems to be a bit of a straw man. His only motive is to be awarded the medal regardless of the consequences and whether he actually earns it or not. There's little depth beyond that. There are some scenes that seem to be shoehorned in just for the sake of having them there. The hospital scene and the Russian women's barracks scenes come to mind. Peckinpah has never done romance well. In fact, he doesn't do women well. Much as they are in The Wild Bunch, the women in Cross of Iron are little more than tramps, there to sexually entice, tempt or please our male protagonists. As hard as the movie tries to show the desolation of the Eastern Front, from all accounts I've read it was much worse than this movie portrayed it. You never get a sense of what the Germans are trying to accomplish here until they begin their retreat. The war scenes are passable, but it's hard to go back an enjoy a mediocre war movie once you've seen modern classics like Saving Private Ryan, Stalingrad, or Black Hawk Down. Peckinpah's use of slow motion and gratuitious gore has become passe compared with the in-your-face realism of today's war movies.
Rating:
Summary: accurately depicted warfare on the eastern front
Review: great movie from a rare prespective of the wehrmacht on the eastern front during the great patriotic war (WWII). this movie focus' largely on the political end of the german high command with an aggressive officer wanting to earn his iron cross...hence the title. the movie uses actual weapons of the era and it's hard to find a detail out of place. the uniforms, insignia and vehicles are all accurate and the tanks are actual t-34/85 tanks purchased from syria when that country "upgraded" to the t-55. the scene at the end is obviously influenced by the famous tractor factory battle at stalingrad and it's great. good action! while the story is so-so and the acting mediocre at best, the action and battle scenes strongly carry the movement of this film from scene to scene.this film is recomended to all you fans of historical accuracy and hard core fighting scenes aswar films of high quality are not only uncommon, but becoming excedingly rare...especially from the german point of view. good movie and the price is right!!
Rating: 
Summary: This is NOT "The Forgotten Soldier."
Review: In fact it's nothing like the Guy Sajer book. OK it takes place in the Soviet Union and the protagonist is in the Whermacht, end of similarity. It's not a bad movie, it's actually rather courageous considering when it was made, and it does have a lot of authentic equipment, which is rare. Ultimately I'm glad I bought it and I'll watch it again, but, and let me repeat myself, it has nothing to do with TFS.
Rating:
Summary: One of thee best WWII movies
Review: I watched this as a kid in the 70's. When I saw "A Bridge Too Far" I loved it but was still stuck on COI as a standard. Was blown away by it's realism, irony and a solid quasi-psychedelic (surreal) background. Now awaiting my delivery of the movie (I have an edited version on tape somewhere) I wanted the original. I love this movie and must have it in it's original form. Genious, comparable to Apocolypese Now and the other Vietnam era filmes to come especially when it comes to the irony of war, the misery and dispear of a soldier who fights for his country not because of belief in what they stand for but because of being a patriot. A+ movie. The beginning with the Hitler Youth songs sets the tone. Scarey, frightening, enlightening and brilliantly heart felt (from the German & Soviet side). Now Private Ryan and others are great aswell but I remember this movie being the first to show the "enemies" side of things, shocking and thought provoking. The heroes are Whermact (sp?), you'll start to care for them throughout the movie. Brilliance... Am now watching Stalingrad...awesome so far
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant movie, crappy DVD
Review: This is, without a doubt one of the best war movies evere made. It has enough action and drama to make you want to watch it again and again. But the DVD version is garbage. The people at Hen's Tooth Video should be tied down and forced to watch Hulk Hogan movies for ruining Sam Peckinpah's masterpice.
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