Cross of Iron

Rating:
Summary: Classic War Film
Review: Few films, I think, have the same feeling or flavor of "Cross of Iron." It deserves points not only for its style and grittiness, but as well for its unique take on the anti-war idea and its use of a different front not too well seen in films (with perhaps the exception of the recent films "Stalingrad" and "Enemy At the Gates").

In reality, I don't see it as so much being anti-war as it really mocks one of the most disastrous campaigns in military history: the German attack on Russia in World War II. The opening and ending sequences involving child choirs accompanied by footage of the Eastern front and Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime give a grand sense of irony and sarcasm, and through out the film questions are being asked such as "Why are we here?" and "Do you think the German people will forgive us?"

I suppose you could say that using the Russian front, they mock war altogether. The ending sequence of Lee Marvin laughing at the absurdity of the characters and situation around him most likely represents the absurdity of the times then and the times we will find ourselves forever in the future.

Altogether, an great film that is undervalued in the genre of war films.

Rating:
Summary: Reviewer Missed the Movie...
Review: Maybe David Chute should actually watch the movie before condemining it. The German "martinet" he refers to in NOT the James Mason character, but the Maximilian Schell character of the effete and aristocratic Captain Stransky, who, like so many US officers (Army in particular), only show up at the front long enough to get their glory tickets punched, then move on to greater things. On the other hand, the James Mason character, Colonel Brandt, is an excellent portrayal of a solid German combat officer who has seen the futility of the winter war on the eastern front for too long, is a good leader and has some concern for his men.

This is an excellent Peckinpah movie and a solid war movie with the violence of action for which Peckinpah was so famous. Few people could show the bloodiness of actual combat, whether in the Old West or the Russian Front, like him. However, I would like to see a better DVD version, preferably a director's cut with out-takes replaced, at a more reasonable price.

Rating:
Summary: a fine movie that deserves a better DVD
Review: For those who are familiar with Peckinpah's quick edit style that mixes fast cuts and slow motion in between seemingly regular shots, this movie won't come as a surprise. He used it a lot in the much heralded "The Wild Bunch", but it seems much more appropriate for the war scenes here. The acting is mostly first rate, especially by Maximilian Schell, but the rumoured heavy editing for this flick is evident.

The DVD transfer is atrocious in all areas, but is most noticeable with the sound. This DVD deserves to be cleaned up and remastered. Some of those explosions just don't feel right with a hollow boom sound, especially since Peckinpah so wonderfully captured many of the explosions with debris flying toward the camera. You really want to feel the movie, but unfortunately cannot. Much of the fault lies in Hen's Tooth (the distrbutor), but who knows what condition the original film is in. It just might not be profitable to make the transfer which is regretable. It's everybody's loss as a result.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Tale of the German Army in WWII, Ever!
Review: This movie was shot on location in Yugoslavia with the assistance of the Yugoslav Army. Those are their T-34's breaking through the factory wall. This was the most realistic I had never seen such a realistic movie about modern as this one until "Saving Private Ryan" came along and raised the bar. The rear area scenes were a bit overdone with their anti-war message. But they show the pathos wounded soldiers endured as they healed and prepared to return to hellish Eastern front. That Nazi party members and high ranking officers lived well while the troops did not is true. That the troops fought for each other and not "crosses of iron" was true then and is true today. This movie captured the dirt, fear and blood of war like no other until "Ryan". It celebrates honor, courage, leadership under incredible circumstances and love of comrades. I rate this as a "must see" for anyone interested in war movies.

Rating:
Summary: Unconventional, anti-war epic will stay with you....
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: great story, terrible DVD
Review: An interesting story on an obscure subject, the russian eastern front as the tide was turning against the Germans. Okay, blood and guts do fly and some of the characters over-act their parts, but it was an intersting movie when it was out on film (only a very short release as it wasn't popular movie fare). BUT... and I say again BUT with capital letters, the above was all overshadowed by the terrible job of transfering the film to DVD. My copy jumps scenes, skips, and the sound is terrible. I would have thought it was a fluke, but like a fool bought a second copy at a different store, SAME thing. If the problem would ever be fixed I would buy it again, but not this one.

Rating:
Summary: Up with The Bunch
Review: Some of the reviewers of this very fine movie seem to need their eyes and ears examined. Mason does not play a "martinet", as Chute says; nor is he a Nazi. In fact he's the opposite of both. What's the point of writing a review if you haven't watched the movie? This is a really first-class analysis of the nature of camaraderie and loyalty among individual men, sharpened to an unbearable edge by the imminence of death. There are different aspects to this sense of brotherhood; sometimes, but not by any means in every case, releasing a concealed homosexuality. War is misogynic, and this is an anti-war movie, which several reviewers don't appear able to understand. The acting and action scenes throughout are outstanding, except that Coburn didn't seem quite square-headed enough. Also, Maximilian Schell's character, although perfectly played, is too unbelievably despicable to credit. Nevertheless, it's pretty much up there with the rest of Peckinpah's remarkably memorable output.

Rating:
Summary: A Tragic Ripoff
Review: Leave it to the Japanese to do a better job in the DVD release of this epic WW2 film. It deserves much better than the poor VHS quality pan and scan vserion of this DVD by Hens Tooth. Both the Japanese release and the European release from Warner Brothers treat this film with the respect it deserves with a widescreen 1.85 crystal clear(at least compared to this job) picture and sound.Try renting the video and save your money for a future release in the way this film deserves to be done.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best war films I have ever seen
Review: This is one of my favorite films of all time. The battle actions is great and very realistic. Sergeant Steiner is a heroic combat veteren who has survived some of the fierces fighting against the Russian Juggernaut. In addition to having to fight the brave Russians, he has to endure the Military Politics that are ever present, even in battle. I spent twenty years in the U.S. Navy and know very well how the miliary social life is lived. The commaraderie displayed by the the Germans soldiers in this film draws an emotional bond known only by military personnel. This is truly a great movie.

Rating:
Summary: thats is the best movie that i ever saw.
Review: this movie is very good, i saw him many times.
and i still enjoyed from him. this movie speak about the hard battle in russia in world war two. thats thats reflact that the german fight to survive not for hittler or for the nazis.
this movie his very hard to see. you see the terebale of the war.