Pretty Gruesome

Rating: Null/10 (6 June 2002)

Cross of Iron is the brutal tale by Sam Peckinpah, of a small platoon of German troopers lost behind Russian lines. James Coburn, James Mason, Maximilian Schell and David Warner shine as the seasoned troopers trying to get through another day at the front. Their survival is threatened by the aristocratic Schell's need to return home having been awarded the Iron Cross. He won't let anything come between him and his objective his ambition, not even the appearance of cowardice. Through his scheming, Coburn's platoon isn't notified when the Russians engage in a major offensive, and they're forced to try to survive and make it back safe to their own lines. This is a gruesome tour de force, and Peckinpah really does deliver on the promise of his reputation. The sense or realism is increased by the fact that most of the minor characters are actually German or Yugoslav. The Partisan chicks are pretty hot though. :-) One of the ultimate WWII movies, and unique because it (tries to) shows the war from a German perspective.