My new favorite war film!!

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2006)

Wow!!! Just got finished watching Peckinpah's "Cross of Iron". It totally blew me away. I'd resisted seeing it for years even though I am a big Peckinpah fan because it's considered one of his "lesser" films. I can't imagine why. This film is amazing. Easily one of the grittiest, dirtiest, dingiest, most insane war movies I've ever encountered.
In my experience, the really great war films have a tendency to be either cerebral and textural ("Hell is for Heroes", "Full Metal Jacket", "Thin Red Line", "All Quiet on the Western Front", "Paths of Glory") or kinetic and adrenalized ("Apocalypse Now", "Saving Private Ryan", "The Deer Hunter"). Of course, most films kind of jump the barrier here and there, but usually you can make a distinction. "Cross of Iron" combines the two as well as any film I have seen. It also has the added (peculiar) distinction of being one of the only WWII war films with German protagonists.
Coburn totally commands the screen as the brilliant Steiner, a platoon Sergeant who hates officers and war but feels a strong obligation to his men, who love him and trust his leadership. The mid-way point battle scene in this film where the Russians invade the bunker completely blew me away. I was not expecting something so absolutely insane. This ranks up there with the greatest battle scenes ever filmed, in my opinion.
Highly recommended