Review of Cross of Iron (1977) by Matthew B — 19 Apr 2009
In the sunset of Sam Peckinpah's gloriously bloodstained career, James Coburn and Maximilian Schell square off in a dizzyingly hallucinatory, cautionary tale of military corruption and the essential meaninglessness of war.
Of course, in Peckinpah's typical fashion, the mood shifts frequently between the chilling (consider the deigning of the general to visit the variously mutilated veterans at the hospital, followed by a revolting romp through salads and oozing beer) and the mocking (bare-breasted female Soviets abound, and the infectiously glorious - and surprisingly improvised - finale is guaranteed to please).
Though it lacks the brilliance of The Wild Bunch and Straw Dogs, it is a fine drama - and an exceptional war film.
This review of Cross of Iron (1977) was written by Matthew B on 19 Apr 2009.
Cross of Iron has generally received positive reviews.
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