Cross Of Iron on Blu-ray & DVD (1977)

Cross Of Iron

1977

Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5

from 4152 members

A quote from Bertolt Brecht ends this bitter and angry war film by Sam Peckinpah: Do not rejoice in his defeat, you men. For though the world has stood up and stopped the bastard, the bitch that bore him is in heat again. Peckinpah's intense and belligerently non-commercial work, (based on the book by Willi Heinrich), is a World War II tale told from the German perspective, following a platoon of German soldiers in the Russia of 1943, when the German Wehrmacht forces had been decimated and the Germans were retreating along the Russian front. James Coburn is Steiner, a German corporal and recipient of the Iron Cross who feels that he owes his loyalty to his family and fellow soldiers and not to Hitler and the German war machine. But when a new commander, Captain Stransky (Maximillian Schell), takes over the platoon, Steiner and Stransky come into immediate conflict. Stransky is a career soldier, the complete opposite of Steiner, and a man who pledges himself heart and soul to Hitler and the war. But he envies Steiner for having been awarded an Iron Cross and deeply desires one himself. The problem is Stransky is a complete coward and recognizes that the only way he can be awarded an Iron Cross would be to get the bitter Steiner on his side.~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Cross Of Iron details

Formats:	18 DVD, Blu-ray
Starring:	James Coburn, David Warner, Klaus Lowitsch, James Mason, Maximilian Schell, Senta Berger
Director:	Sam Peckinpah
Genres:	Action/Adventure - War, Drama - Romantic
Studio:	ELEVATION

Name	Discs
Cross Of Iron	18 Feature

DVD Information

Run time:	2 hours 7 minutes
Rental release:	29 Jan 2007
Main languages:	English
Dubbed:	French, Spanish

Name	Discs
Cross Of Iron	18 Feature

Blu-ray Information

Run time:	2 hours 12 minutes
Rental release:	06 Jun 2011
Main languages:	English

Write your own review

Most helpful review Cross Of Iron

WW2 Masterpiece

By a customer from London , 03 Feb 2004

[Highly rated reviewer]

Stellar anti-war movie which the big man Orson Welles desrcibed as one of the best he'd ever seen. If you need more of a recommendation than that then you're a fool. Top drawer acting, dialogue, and trademark Peckinpah technical genius. Just watch it.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (21) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review

All reviews

(47)

Sort by:

Excellent anti-war film

By bobbyj (2 reviews) , 12 Jan 2013

Fantastic WW2 movie from the German perspective. James Coburn and the supporting cast make this a very realistic and believable film.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review
Realistic War Film

By ReviewerReviewer (83 reviews) , 06 Jan 2013

This is a realistic film of what war was truley like on the Eastern front, it shows the true horror and is a well made film
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review
A World War Two "Wild bunch" take!

By a customer , 05 Oct 2012

Great to see a German perspective of the war in Russia.

Good, wholesome, intriguing film about the skulduggery of a Prussian Officer who won't stop at anything to obtain his Iron Cross, even at the cost of his own side's lives.

Well worth watching.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review
Worth watching it

By denis007 (131 reviews) , 16 Apr 2012

James Coburn and Maximillian Schell are truly equal to themselve in this movie. Good entertainment. I truly enjoyed watching it. Action packed and a good story line. Truly a classic war movie seen in a different perspective from more recent WW2 movies.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review
Well worth watching

By Emjay69 (327 reviews) from Kidlington, Oxford , 03 Jan 2012

Well worth watching.This is definitely one of the better war films, or even anti-war films.

It portrays the stupidity of a war that no-one wants and the tragic loss of life to young people.

However, I was surprised at the weak part as played by James Mason. This is probably his worst war film.
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (0) Yes |
- No (0)
Report this review