Top-of-the-range War movie well directed by Peckinpah , in which James Coburn and Maximilian Schell stand out

Rating: 7/10 (12 April 2012)

In 1943, in the Russian front , a squad of German soldiers fighting on the Eastern Front during WWII struggle to survive Soviet attacks and tough Nazi commanders . Nazis are suffering a crushing defeat , a battle-hardened sergeant ,James Coburn , commands a group of misfit soldiers in a chaotic and lethal environment and carry out dangerous missions . This is a rugged WWII Actioner concerning about the experienced Sergeant Steiner , he's assigned by Colonel Brandt (James Mason) to risked assignments . The Nazi commando turns out to be a rag-tag , oddball and motley gang (a largely cast formed by Klaus Lowitsch, among others) , under command Sergeant Steiner . The commando led by Steiner get a chance to redeem themselves by executing dangerous missions and take a Russian teenager under their protection . They return to base to meet a new dogmatic commander , a traditional Prussian captain named Stranski (Maximilian Schell) who wishes only one thing , an Iron Cross to maintain his family honor . Later on , they are sent on yet another new mission by the staff command . Finally the Russian infantry , artillery and tanks enter on the German trenches at some spectacular scenes . The final closing is a quote from Bertolt Brecht: It states: "Don't rejoice in his defeat, you men. For though the world has stood up and stopped the bastard, The bitch that bore him is in heat again."
This excellent movie about the heroics of weary German soldiers results to be one of the history's best war movie . This over-the-top war film of fundamental interest packs frantic thrills , perilous assignments , relentless feats , interesting message and buck-loads of explosive action and violence . The noisy action is uniformly bad-made , especially deserving of mention the rip-roaring final scenes on the German base . Serious and rough James Coburn is top-notch as leader of the motley pack together thwart the Russian enemies , as well as the largely secondary cast with special mention to James Mason as Colonel Brandt and David Warner as captain Keisel . And of course , Maximilian Schell , he steals the show as a tricky and coward officer . Photographed by John Coquillon in Yugoslavia in low budget with money put up by a West German porn producer and the ending wasn't the original ending in the script , at the time the film had run out of money so Sam Peckinpah got James Coburn to improvise .
Director Peckinpah proved had not lost the touch that made Cross of Iron one of his best movies and is the only World War II film directed by Sam Peckinpah . The film is possibly is one of the most brutal and ferocious Peckinpah , when it was dominated by alcohol , melancholy, loneliness and despair . Professionally made by the famous director who was a real creator and author of masterpieces as ,¨The ballad of Cable Hogue¨, ¨Wild bunch¨ , ¨Straw dogs¨, ¨Bring me the head of Alfredo Garcia¨. ¨Cross of Iron¨ is lovely realized by Sam Peckinpah in his punchy directorial style . Hardcore Peckinpah moviegoers will appreciate this one more than the casual spectator.
'Cross of Iron' is followed by an inferior sequel titled 'Breakthrough' a boring war movie with all-star-cast as Richard Burton , Rod Steiger , Robert Mitchum , Curd Jurgens though really wasted in which the command under orders Steiner must participate in suicidal missions , Steiner-Burton tries to contact enemy for a treaty of peace and later on , they prepare an assault over a strong position located on the hill where are the Allied tanks .