Cross of Iron

Rating: 7/10 (12 December 2006)

Hauptmann Stransky(Maximilian Scell) badly wants that iron cross. Steiner(Coburn, battling that German accent, but I still liked him in the part and felt he fit the role well), a veritable war hero respected by many, has one and stands in the way of Stransky getting just that. Stransky claims he lead his accompaniment bravely into battle(of course, he's lying through his teeth), but many men around him, especially Steiner know different. As Steiner and his men are at their posts as the Germans retreat, Stransky doesn't inform them leaving the soldiers for dead. Though, as we have already established in several war scenes, Steiner is able to escape certain death from Russian tanks and foot-soldier gun-fire. He still stands in the way of Steiner getting that cross as he courageously(and intelligently)leads his men through rough terrain and possible death to get back to a German outpost in a nearby village.
Sluggish pacing, at times, makes this film a chore to sit through..it really felt a lot longer to me than it was. Still, the film has thrilling war sequences sprinkled throughout, Steiner men's voyage across war-ravaged Russia is indeed quite interesting and harrowing, the camaraderie between Steiner and his men is refreshing and realistic, and seeing Steiner and his men outsmarting the Russian forces through cunning ways of quick escape is suspenseful and quite entertaining.
Ultimately, seeing what Steiner and his men go through on their difficult journey makes the impending tragedy even more jolting. I felt the film is a bit sloppy and uneven, but has enough compelling elements(such as Steiner's seeing visions of his beloved soldiers' faces during good times once they are dead;the Russian kid that gets it by his own people;war-ravaged country-side and the dead lying all throughout)to keep the interest of Peckinpah faithful.