"Cross of Iron"

Starring James Coburn. Based on a real account and pretty faithfull to that account. I was thinking this morning about the part where Steiner takes the captured Russki kid into no man's land and let's him go explaining that it all was "an accident." That about sums up WWII! A huge historical airplane crash!
YouTube - Cross of Iron (Full Movie) :: [Part 1 of 12]
PS. An interesting bio on Willi Heinrich, the author "700% casualties?"; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willi_Heinrich

 

Yup, great movie. Did not like the sequel with Richard Burton.

 

Yes I agree it was a great movie but I have never seen it shown on TV for some reason. I saw it on the big screen when it came out and that was the only time.
By todays standards it is not too violent.

 

I have the dvd and really enjoy wathing it

 

SEQUEL!

News to me.

 

I just wonder how long it will take YouTube to pull it?

 

Uh, it was nasty.



Steiner - Das eiserne Kreuz, 2. Teil (1979)

 

I think I shall pass on this one, thanks PzJgr for the info.

 

This film is dying to be remade with better actors.

 

Burton looked like a beat up old dog in this one. Anyone can show up and read the lines.

 

I have th movie as well-which I THINK was last sold as a Hens Tooth released movie. Sam Peckinpah did one heck of a great job in making this movie.

I never got the chance to see it at the theater but I do remember the poster being in it's window-the one that shows a dead German soldier with his arm stretched out trying to grab his Iron Cross.

Over the years i've seen this movie probably 40 times and never tire of it. The sequal like mentioned-was not very good but is still watchable-though just barely-thanks to having veteran actors in it. James Coburn and Sam Peckinpah-are both sorely missed on this movie.

The only actors who were in Cross of Iron who made it into this sequal-were Klaus Lowitsch (Corporal Krueger) and the guy who was the Recon Ptns Radioman (I don't know his name) and sadly, both are now deceased.

Anyway-the two platoon surivors (outside of Steiner) were killed in the sequal.

 

I don't agree. James Coburn and James Mason are absolute grade A actors.

Actually, and Im saying this out of interest rather than being pedantic, I'd be interested to hear which contemporary actors you would cast in a remake.

 

I'm not too impressed with James Coburn's lines or his portrayal of Sgt. Steiner. (7/10 for the film)

Remake:

Sgt. Steiner: Russell Crowe

Cpt. Stransky: Daniel Day-Lewis

 

I can't argue with Daniel day Lewis, a fine actor. Not entirely sure about Crowe, though.
I really need to watch the movie again to refresh my memory about it. Then I want to come up with my own ideas for characters for a remake...this is fun!

 

Remake; I wonder what Johnny Depp would do with Steiner? He did do Dillinger recently and is perhaps capable of less off the wall characters. Then Tom Cruise or perhaps Colin Farrell as Stranske. All probably pretty academic and the Peckinpah version would be a pretty hard act to follow. If Hollywood were to tackle this one again I would hope that the original book would serve as the bedrock. It would be interesting to see what they could do with computer generation on the battlefield scenes-for certain you could convey the massiveness of Eastern Front combat much more effectively.
The sequel? I made it through about a half hour of that before stopping the tape.
JeffinMNUSA

 

The reason I say Crowe for Steiner as I remembered his performance in Gladiator and 3:10 to Yuma. It could really work.

DDL can play the same awesome, intimidating monster he usually plays and break down in the end...

 

Some things are better left as is, and the "Cross of Iron" falls into that category I believe. There are too many other stories to be told from that horrific struggle. Leave the classics alone. Just my opinion of course. Means nothing to some, and something to not many.

 

Im inclined to agree, but its all just speculation anyway. Though if I find out Roland Emmerich and dean Devllin have bought the option then Im heading to Hollywood with a machine gun.

 

Ditto, Cross of Iron is a great film that should be left alone. However, I think more Eastern Front movies should be made--such as one made about the Battle of Kursk-or one made about the Battles for the Courland Pocket--etc etc.

Forgot to mention that I think it would make for a great story-if they made a movie about the Wilhelm Gustloff tragedy.

 

Granted Cross of Iron is war fiction but on saying that its one heck of a great film. The scene where Steiner and his platoon cross the lines only to be shot up was a powerful scene. All actors came off well in this film and that is rare.