Peckinpah Goes to War

Rating: 10/10 (16 April 2010)

In "Cross of Iron" director Sam Peckinpah tells an story about true heroes and their real acts of heroism and false heroes and what do they do to be recognized as brave mens and guarantee all the fame to the themselves.
During the Second World War the Prussian Captain Hauptmann Stransky (Maximilian Schell) fights along the Nazists even though he dislikes Hitler. All he wants is to put his hands in a medal of honor named "Cross of Iron", a medal given to acts of bravery in a battle. He's a total coward, manipulates his subordinates and does everything he can to win this medal. But he's the new leader of the squad. Newly promoted Sergeant Rolf Steiner (James Coburn) is the good guy in this story, the good German. He's gonna be one of the many obstacles that Stransky got to deal with. Steiner is a real hero, a guy who always risks his life in order to protect his friends and even potential enemies like a Russian soldier boy that he kept as prisoner. But both men are united against the Soviets in a desperate attempt to survive.
Along with the vanities, friendship, bravery, pride and the Cross of Iron there's also the battles, the shootings, blood, insanity, fights like a typical war movie. The originality of this movie is to show the German side of the war, a side that's almost isn't showed in movies and here they got the chance to be the "heores" of the story even that we know that in real life wasn't that way. If you're looking to an accurate story don't watch it. But if you want with bloody battles and a good story you must watch it. This is the only incursion of Sam Peckinpah into war films and he really did a terrific job here. It might not be violent as "The Wild Bunch" but it has many characteristics of his preview works (the great editing alternating slow motion and still images and then moves forward).
Another rare and interesting aspect is the homosexual relationship between the Leutnant Triebig (Roger Fritz) and a young soldier named Kepler (the actor is not credited). Their relationship appears briefly in a scene when both are caught by Stransky (they don't know that). Stransky uses their unfoldment as a way to use Triebig as an allied to his plans. I think that this worked really well in the movies, it's not something you see even in recent war movies. The focus here it's not only the war strategies but the man strategy to get what he wants, even if all he wants is a medal or to stand for those he likes.
Good performances by James Coburn, Maximiian Schell (the best in scene), James Mason, David Warner and Igor Galo (he plays the young Leutnant Meyer). Since this was an very underrated movie by the time of its release I hope that someday (soon) maybe Hollywood remake this classic. Here comes an suggestion: Tom Wilkinson must play Captain Stransky, I can picture he playing this almost villain.