The ordeals of a conscientious objector as an officer in the German army

Rating: 9/10 (10 March 2020)

This is indeed thoroughly a masterpiece, with tremendous realization of atrocious war scenes, with outstanding acting performances by above all James Coburn but also Maximilian Schell and James Mason among many others, but an objection must be raised against the story. Is this really credible? Could German soldiers act like this against fellow soldiers? I must find it hard to believe. The shattering finale, when James Coburn leads his last men back to his own German lines, must all the same be considered one of the strongest war sequences ever filmed, reminding very much of "All Quiet on the Western Front" from 1931, and Maximilian Schell succeeds after all in making his character credible, although this is the crucial instant of the film and the story. The bloody gory scenes are so overwhelmingly multiple and crowded, so you must suspect Sam Peckinpah made this film just to be able to wallow as much as possible in visual cruelty and atrocity. James Mason is a contrast to this in his cool detachment to his job, while Steiner is the one really interesting character, both here and in the follow-up "Breakthrough" two years later with Richard Burton in the role. It's impossible to say if James Coburn or Richard Burton makes it better. Burton makes a more aged scarred veteran, while Coburn is more virile. The most interesting scenes of the film are those of his sensational extra-sensory experience of reality after his severe concussion as hospitalized with Senta Berger as his nurse - this is exactly how you may experience brain damage after a critical concussion. It is and remains a masterpiece for all time, but it is not a very sympathetic or likeable one - Sam Peckinpah's films never seem to be able to include any well needed refreshing sense of humour into their epics of cruelty.