Cross of Iron

[Shane Wolfe]

Peckinpah's only war movie, and I think it is also one of the best. Using original equipment provided by the Yugoslavs that kept it purely for film prodution, the T-34 scenes are very good as they advance over the German positions. Shows the difficulty of Infantry Vs Armour when one is not supported by the other.

This film wasn't popular as it was perceived as showing the Germans as "good guys" against the Russians, so it is now a cult classic. Great acting all round, with the usual anti-war current that unfortunately plagued war films of the time (A Bridge Too Far, Von Ryan's Express).

If you like Russian tanks, the Sven Hassel books, or the fantastic Forgotten Soldier book, you'll love this movie.

[[ICE]monkey]

I will have to find this film , the book the forgotten soldier was excellent

[tanks_for_the_memory]

I agree that this is a great film, with a superb performance from James Coburn amongst others. For me the most memorable moment is the General visiting the wounded soldiers who tries to shake one of their hands. He's offered first one stump, then the other. Anti-war? Certainly. But the battle scenes are first-rate.

[tanks_for_the_memory]

Another powerful Eastern front movie - with some great tank battle scenes - is the more recent Stalingrad... Just remembered it. Begins with the Germans in idylic Italian summer, ends with them freezing to death in the Russian snow. Plus it's a German co-production. The anti-war slant of American films from the late sixties onwards was an understandable reaction to the agony of the Vietnam conflict, but the Germans themselves have had to deal with so many ghosts that it makes me wonder whether their great war film has yet to be made. Downfall comes close...

[Shane Wolfe]

Agree with Stalingrad, a fantastic film and very authentic. Downfall for me is a superb telling of the bunker and Berlin's last days.

[Earwig]

The,Barn scene in the original un-edited version of Cross of Iron....made most men watching it..flinch....

[Johnf]

just watched it again last week. Agree the scene with T34s was great. Yugoslav T34s very good. Anybody going to Belgrade, worth going to the tank museum. lots of german stuff there and you can climb up on it. Kellys heroes also a yugoslav production.

[Earwig]

I,m going to Slovakia in Sept, Bratislava to be exact..and,then we are taking train journeys to vienna, prague, budapest, and if time allows, Belgrade,...and i,ve also been told that Slovakia is the place to get repro,WW11 German memorabilia....btw..a half lt of beer is 80p.....hic,hic,