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THE MOVIE
Cross of Iron attempts to depict the horror and brutality of war on its participants, dealing with a German reconnaissance platoon involved in the retreat from the Russian front. We see the horrific scars and amputations of wounded soldiers, vehicles drive over dead bodies, and figures are blown to smithereens.
Perhaps due to my expectations, this film let me down. Cross of Iron was fairly shallow when considering the subject matter, and was lacking impact. Although the camera work of John Coquillion and Ernest Gold’s musical score did make the movie much more effective.
Cross of Iron certainly isn't short of any battle scenes, and the editing cuts back and forth between several different actions, from slow motion to normal speed to give the film a unique, interesting point of view. The battle scenes also involve vintage tanks and plenty of extras.
Cross of Iron is the only war film directed by filmmaker Sam Peckinpah, based on a novel by German author Willi Heinrich called Steiner - Das geduldige Fleisch. The movie’s cast includes James Coburn as Sgt. Steiner, Maximilian Schell as Capt. Stransky, and James Mason as the regimental commander.
Steiner detests authority, his uniform he wears and everything it stands for. However, amongst the constant slaughter and explosions, Steiner continues to protect the men. His nemesis Stransky, is a wealthy aristocratic who has volunteered with the express aim of winning the ‘Iron Cross’.
Peckinpah concentrates his direction on the conflict between these two German officers, but expands that to consider the importance of the individual against the necessity of everyone pulling together to survive. It focuses on the average foot soldier, the harshness of his daily existence, and the horrors inflicted on him by war.
Having saved a boy from execution, before they part, Steiner tries to explain that in war, although on opposite sides, he and the boy have suffered the same fate. They are caught in the ‘middle of no man’s land’. The boy makes a run for it only to be shot down by his own side. It’s all an “accident of hands”.
There a number of scenes created to delve into the function of war and the reasons why men join. Amongst these, include when Stransky bullies and manipulates a young orderly into confessing that his Captain is homosexual, which is used as blackmail under threat of banishment and hanging.
Furthermore, in typical Peckinpah fashion, women are portrayed as incapable of fair combat. The misogyny of their sequence, whilst Steiner’s platoon is abandoned behind enemy lines, the female soldiers are ultimately portrayed as a pack of dogs circling helpless prey.
Sam Peckinpah had a reputation for being drunk on the set during in the 1970’s, and is likely the reason Cross of Iron is highly uneven. The casting is questionable, and although Peckinpah has left us with various statements about war, honour, survival and friendship, it’s a shame Cross of Iron wasn’t engaging, and sometimes just dull.
THE TRANSFER
Video:
Cross of Iron is presented in Anamorphic Widescreen in the ratio of 1.85:1.
Compared to the travesty that is in Region 1, our version of Cross of Iron is generally very good. Although the picture is at times soft, lacking in detail, containing artifacting in places and grain throughout, it remains overall very pleasing. The colours are well represented and the blacks, grays and browns look accurate.
Audio:
Cross of Iron supports English Dolby Digital 2.0.
Essentially a mono track, the sound for Cross of Iron lacks range and doesn’t quite deliver much punch, but it’s more than adequate. The dialogue is clear, but it would have been a nice to have this remixed in a realistic 5.1 soundtrack. As it is, the soundtrack is rather unremarkable. It’s not bad, it’s just not perfect.
THE EXTRAS
There are no extra features, although we’re not missing out on very much when compared to overseas editions.
SUMMARY
Cross of Iron was fairly average, and rather a big disappointment. However, despite the lack of any extra features whatsoever, for fans of the film and Sam Peckinpah, with a retail price of $9.95 fans, this should keep you happy. However, for everyone else, rent first. |
