*** out of ****

Rating: Null/10 (1 December 2002)

Sam Peckinpah's only venture into war films is a mixed success. The storyline concerns a German World War II captain who's main goal is to earn himself the Iron Cross (Maximilian Schell), and how he butts heads with a corporal who's just trying to do his business and survive (James Coburn). At a few points in the movie, the story seems to forget where it's going, and trails off into unnecessary subplots and action sequences. Peckinpah's directorial skill is evident in these scenes  nobody has ever done action as good as him  but he could've used a better script. For all it's flaws, it's worthwhile viewing  especially for Peckinpah fans  but it is far from the director's best.