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 Cross of Iron (1977) shows war at its most direct. No matter how much glory is wrought or how many medals are won, the battlefield is an ugly place to be. But who better a blunt instrument to deliver this point than Sam Peckinpah, a director who made it his mission to never mince words. With a first-rate ensemble that includes James Coburn, James Mason, and Maximilian Schell, Peckinpah stares the horrors of armed combat in the face and, in his refusal to flinch, walks away with a work as resonant as antiwar pictures can be.
A first look at Cross of Iron is surprising bcause the characters aren't batting for Uncle Sam. Instead, the story centers on a unit of the Wehrmacht, Germany's armed forces, at the notorious Russian front in 1943. Coburn plays Sgt. Steiner, an officer who's seen too many good men perish to stomach the Fuhrer's party line. Thus, it's no shocker that he instantly locks horns with his new commanding officer, Capt. Stransky (Schell). Though he has little to no real experience in battle, Stransky declares that he's not going home without the Iron Cross, one of the German military's highest decorations. But while a surprise Soviet attack is all that it takes to reaffirm his doubts, Steiner returns to the trenches to find the driven Stransky willing to sacrifice any and all lives in pursuit of his prize.
As a member of Peckinpah's repertoire, there are certain traits one can expect out of this movie. Chief among these is the filmmaker's taste for violence, and, this being his sole war movie, he doesn't hold back here. Glamour is a myth as far as Cross of Iron is concerned, as it dismisses a romanticized gloss in favor of a lived-in feel that gives the action real bite. The threat of a blitzkrieg looms over every scene, allowing the battle sequences more urgency and a reason other than to give your stereo system a workout. But as effectively nasty as the action is, Cross of Iron doesn't forget that its greatest conflict is one of ideals. Without making a cartoon of either character, Peckinpah positions Steiner and Stransky as polar opposites. One wants all the prestige for none of the work; the other couldn't care less, and how far the former will go to get what he wants creates as much suspense as the most brutal firefight.
James Coburn
Peckinpah also clears what first seems to be Cross of Iron's greatest hurdle with relative ease. To a degree viewers are asked to sympathize with the enemy, but the film nails this by keeping the drama at a base level and making politics a non-issue. Just to be sure, there is a scene in which Steiner and Stransky both express contempt for Hitler, though Stransky's thirst for glory is made a personal one. What matters most is the gradual sense of decay, of seeing men morally and physically weaken. Coburn, effecting a mild accent and modicum of monologues, invokes the weariness of an officer who's endured more than anyone should, as Schell captures the cocky naiveté of a guy who's never had one bullet whiz past his ear. The pair doesn't square off as much as expected; though a traditional cat-and-mouse game might undermine the stark universe the picture spends so much time making its own.
I admire Cross of Iron for not letting cynicism get the best of it. Knowing how unapologetically rough the war genre can be, it's rare to turn up something that's realistic without getting nihilistic. Whoever said war is hell hit the nail on the head, and save for the odd storytelling hiccup, Cross of Iron exemplifies this notion with equal parts piss, vinegar, and unabashed bravado.
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Writers: Julius J. Epstein, Walter Kelley, and James Hamilton (from a novel by Willi Heinrich)
Cast: James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason, David Warner
Rating: R (strong violence, brief nudity, some profanity)
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Run Time: 132 minutes
Studio: AVCO Embassy Pictures
Format: Color, widescreen
Photo credits: AVCO Embassy Pictures
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