Cross Of Iron (DVD 2001)

Behind enemy lines is a part of war that is always full of suspense, but is not an area of war that is properly exploited. In Cross of Iron, the acting is excellent, the situations believable and the anti war message acceptable. For the viewer to feel that the viewer is actually there is a masterpiece of direction, which for a film made without the benefit of today's technology, is really something. Peckinpah at his best. Coburn is brilliantly believable, Mason, Warner and Schell are excellent in their supporting roles.

You are unusually lucky if on reading the advertising on the back of a DVD you find that the film is actually that good. With Cross of Iron the viewer is very lucky indeed.

Sam peckinpah`s film adaptation of Willi Heinrich`s is a creditable attempt, though as ever Characters are never fleshed out enough, at the expense of a damn good explosion(pre computer generated effects)or extra`s hurled bloodily across the scene. This is a peckinpah war movie so no surprises on that score.
The cast act well, except for dodgy accents. Corporal James Coburn(Steiner) with the whitest teeth on the Russain front; play`s an acceptable anti hero, to Maximilian Schell`s Captain Stansky a cowardly medal hunter.The depth of their contempt is never fully captured by Peckinpah, or Steiner`s apparent bond with James Mason`s battle weary (Brandt) which gives Steiner so much levity, to be insolent, and self induged when sparing`equally` with Stansky.
My personal favourite, is David Warners Interpretation of Captain kiesel, wonderfully portraying a dry, shrunken, skillful observer, of loss and losing in an apparently hopeless situation.
This film is made that much better, than average by the relationship , between Keisel and Brandt, than the obvious Stransky, and Steiner.BUT this is an action drama after all.
`Wikki` a few facts for the basis of Heinrich`s Novel,they are there, and buy the book and feel Stransky`s humiliation, rather than hear Steiner laughing his last..(?)