Cross of Iron

Plot

Corporal Rolf Steiner, a veteran Wehrmacht soldier on the Eastern Front, captures a Russian boy soldier during a raid. Captain Stransky arrives to take command of Steiner's battalion, joking that he wants to win the Iron Cross. Stransky orders the prisoner shot, but Steiner refuses and hides the boy. Stransky promotes Steiner, who remains unmoved, and discerns that his adjutant, Lieutenant Triebig, is a closeted homosexual.

Steiner's platoon celebrates Lieutenant Meyer's birthday; Steiner releases the boy as a Russian offensive begins, and the boy is killed. Meyer dies leading a counter-attack while Stransky cowers in his bunker. Steiner is wounded and sent to a hospital, where he experiences flashbacks and a romance with a nurse. Stransky needs Steiner's corroboration for an Iron Cross nomination, but Steiner tells Colonel Brandt he hates all officers.

When the battalion retreats, Stransky does not notify Steiner's platoon, forcing them to retreat through enemy territory. They capture female soldiers; Zoll is wounded after trying to abuse one and kills her, and Dietz is deceived and killed. Steiner locks Zoll with the vengeful women, taking their uniforms as disguises.

Production

Cross of Iron was a joint Anglo-German production between EMI Films and ITC Entertainment of London and Rapid Films GmbH from Munich. In July 1975 EMI Films announced the film as part of an eleven-film slate, then titled Sergeant Steiner and starring Robert Shaw. Screenplay credits went to Julius Epstein, James Hamilton, and Walter Kelley, based on the 1956 novel The Willing Flesh by Willi Heinrich, loosely based on the true story of Johann Schwerdfeger.

Filming began on March 29, 1976, on location in Trieste, Italy, and Yugoslavia, including Obrov in Slovenia, and Zagreb and Savudrija in Croatia. Interiors were completed at Pinewood Studios. The film used historically accurate weaponry, including Soviet T-34/85 tanks from the Yugoslav People's Army. The Yugoslav government had promised all military equipment would be ready, but Hartwig's budget issues caused delays when half was missing.

Peckinpah's alcoholism affected the schedule; he consumed 180° proof Slivovitz daily and every two to three weeks went on a binge, losing shooting days.

Reception

Upon release, Cross of Iron performed poorly at the US box office and received mixed reviews, overshadowed by Star Wars. It performed very well in West Germany, earning the best box-office takings there since The Sound of Music, and European audiences and critics responded favorably. Vincent Canby of The New York Times called it Peckinpah's least interesting, least personal film in years, doubting the director's heart was in the project. Variety described it as an antiwar tract that affirmed Peckinpah's prowess as an action filmmaker of graphic mayhem, but violence-fixated to its philosophic cost.

Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune gave it 0.5 stars out of 4, questioning why the film was made. Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote that everything Peckinpah had to say about war had been better expressed by others, making the film a wearying spectacle. Gary Arnold of The Washington Post called it a pointless, expendable action film. Filmcritic.com noted that Peckinpah indulged in endless combat scenes, trying the patience of viewers. Retrospective reviews have been much more positive, with some critics citing it as one of Peckinpah's best works.

Sequel

In 1979, West German money largely funded the sequel Breakthrough, directed by Andrew McLaglen. The setting shifted from Russia to the Western Front, with Richard Burton taking over as Sgt Steiner from James Coburn. The story follows Steiner rescuing an American officer and a plot to kill Hitler. Critics savaged the film for its muddled story, weak dialogue, elderly cast, and lackluster performances.