Hell on the Eastern Front

Rating: Null/10 (6 December 2001)

I just gave this film a second viewing, and realized that it is far superior in many ways to other films depicting the eastern front, primarily "Enemy at the Gates" and "Stalingrad."
I originally didn't think there was much separating it from Peckinpah's other films; it has a heavy influence on manly bonding, slow-motion shots of soldiers twitching as blood-squibs explode on their bodies, and what some may see as a sexist attitude towards women. These are soldiers who are fighting a war against kids and women, fed up and disgusted by those, like Captain Stansky, who still see the Russian conquest as an heroic adventure. These soldiers aren't much different from Pike's outfit in "The Wild Bunch." But "Cross of Iron" displays a very convincing atmosphere of death, horror, and futility.
The film has a few low and dated production values--the 1970's haircuts, old methods of filming combat (the slow-motion, again) and some lack of scope hurt the film a small amount. But the movie excels in depicting the terror of combat. Being shelled by one's enemies comes off as particularly devastating. However, scenes without combat are just as effective; A high-ranking officer realizes he can not shake hands with a combat veteran who has stubs, a truck drives right over the carcass of a rotting German soldier, and the dialogue and appearance of the men in Steiner's platoon constantly reflect weariness and fatigue. "Cross of Iron," together with "Come and See," may be the definitive war films on the Russian Front. Grade: B+