Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Cross of Iron 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 23, 2023

Sam Peckinpah's "Cross of Iron" (1977) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with film editors Tony Lawson and Michael Ellis; exclusive new program with make-up supervisor Colin Arthur; archival audio commentary by film historian and author Stephen Prince; multiple archival cast and crew interviews; deleted scenes; promotional materials; and a lot more. In English, with optional English, German, and French subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Cross of Iron is Sam Peckinpah's only war film. Set during the final days of WW2, it follows a platoon of demoralized and exhausted soldiers, led by Corporal Steiner (James Coburn, Harry in Your Pocket!), as the German army is forced to retreat from the Russian front.

After a dangerous mission, Steiner meets his newly appointed commanding officer Captain Hauptmann Stransky (Maximilian Schell, A Bridge Too Far), an arrogant Prussian aristocrat, who dreams of winning the prestigious Cross of Iron. Convinced that the Third Reich is invincible, Stransky immediately questions Steiner’s recent decision to relocate his men to safer ground. Shortly after, the Russians launch a surprise attack. Stransky acts like a coward, while Steiner is seriously wounded and many of his men killed.

Steiner wakes up in an unnamed hospital where he befriends a beautiful nurse, Eva (Senta Berger, Diabolically Yours). A few days later, with some of his wounds still bleeding, he heads back to the front. After he is greeted by his men, Steiner is shocked to discover that Stransky has fabricated a report indicating that he led a counterattack against the Russians, hoping that his 'act of bravery' would win him the Iron Cross. Outraged and disgusted, he decides to testify against Stransky.

Peckinpah's Cross of Iron is an unusual film. There are massive, frequently breathtaking battle scenes in it, but the focus of attention is on the ordinary man who must fight an enemy he does not know or understand but feels it is his duty to confront. It is raw and intense, quite moody at times, but also incredibly poetic.

The conflict between Steiner and Stransky occupies a major part of the story and represents a fascinating clash of ideas. Steiner is an honest and brave soldier who has come to realize what men like him sooner or later do, which is that in war there are no winners. The realization has made him a cynic, so now he simply fights to live, not because he believes in the Nazi cause. Stransky is a coward who wants to return home as a hero. Ironically, like Steiner, he does not believe in the Nazi cause, even though he is convinced that the Third Reich is invincible.

The men around Steiner are not believers either. They fight because they are proud patriots -- or at least they were before the war started. However, while being exterminated by their enemy, like Steiner, most have traded their patriotism for cynicism.

This rather unusual distinction Peckinpah makes in Cross of Iron -- that not all Germans who fought the war were Nazis -- is rarely witnessed in similar period films. Naturally, as the story progresses it becomes increasingly clear that the Germans and the Russians are fighting the same enemy.

Shot on location in Yugoslavia -- with a legendary budget that nearly bankrupted producer Wolf C. Hartwig, who previously had funded mostly exploitation and pornographic films -- Cross of Iron dazzles with its massive, notably realistic battle scenes. The editing, however, is occasionally problematic.

The haunting soundtrack was created by Oscar-winning composer Ernest Gold (It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World).

*In 1977, Cross of Iron was awarded a Golden Screen Award.

Cross of Iron 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Imprint Films' release of Cross of Iron is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc and the two Blu-ray discs that are included with it are Region-Free.

I spent quite a bit of time with this release because it has a lot of bonus features as well as an interesting "grindhouse" version of the film, which is something of a reconstruction as well. The 4K Blu-ray release introduces StudioCanal's new 4K restoration of the film. It appears to be a copy of the 4K Blu-ray release that StudioCanal produced for the UK market. (You can see our listing and review of this release here). After the 4K Blu-ray disc loads up, there is an option to set your preferred country -- the United Kingdom, Germany, or France. The same option is available on the British release. After that, everything is the same as seen on the British release. I viewed the film in native 4K in its entirety and did not notice anything new to add in this review. In other words, if you have seen our review of the British release, you already know that I like a lot how the film looks after it was fully restored in 4K. I did not encounter any technical anomalies to report.

Despite showing serious signs of aging, the "grindhouse" version is quite interesting to analyze. It is sourced from a recent 2K scan that moves the film to a ratio of approximately 1.57:1, plus there are some sequences that convey slightly different colors. Also, as mentioned above, the "grindhouse" version is a reconstruction that uses standard definition inserts -- taken from a DVD release -- with further damage and discoloration. So, because the film was shot "open matte", you will see extra footage, which is basically what kept me curious. The "grindhouse" version uses the original English audio, and is presented courtesy of Mike Siegel. The running time of the "grindhouse" version is 133 minutes (2:12.50).

Finally, there is a Blu-ray disc with a 1080p presentation of the new 4K restoration. Unlike the 4K Blu-ray disc, the Blu-ray disc is not a copy of StudioCanal's British Blu-ray disc. (You can see our listing and review of this release here).

Cross of Iron 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this release: English LPCM 2.0, German LPCM 2.0, and French LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH, German, and French subtitles are provided for the main feature. The "grindhouse" version comes with an English LPCM 2.0 track as well. However, for obvious reasons, the audio is not fully restored. There are no optional English SDH subtitles for it.

While viewing the film in native 4K, I did not encounter technical issues to report in our review. I think that the restored 2.0 track is very healthy and reproduces the native qualities of the original soundtrack very, very well.

Cross of Iron 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - in this exclusive new audio commentary, film historian and filmmaker Mike Siegel -- who was involved with the very good recent Blu-ray release of The Osterman Weekend -- shares a lot of information about Sam Peckinpah's cinematic legacy, the conception and execution of Cross of Iron as well as the director's 'unorthodox' take on the clash between the Germans and the Russians, the staging and appearance of the battle scenes, the specific casting choices that were made, etc. In English.

• Promoting Steiner - presented here is an extensive collection of promotional materials -- posters, lobby cards, press book, magazine covers, etc. -- from around the world. With music. (11 min).

• Steiner on the Set - presented here is a collection of one hundred rare stills from the shooting of Cross of Iron. With music. (10 min).

• Filming Steiner - Part One - presented here is a rare collection of two hundred behind the scenes stills. In Black and white. With music. (10 min).

• Filming Steiner - Part Two - presented here are the remaining behind the scenes stills. In black and white. With music. (10 min).

• Steiner in Color - presented here are additional behind the scenes/production/film stills. In color. With music. (10 min).

BLU-RAY DISC ONE - CROSS OF IRON 4K RESTORATION

• Commentary One - in this exclusive new audio commentary, film historian and filmmaker Mike Siegel -- who was involved with the very good recent Blu-ray release of The Osterman Weekend -- shares a lot of information about Sam Peckinpah's cinematic legacy, the conception and execution of Cross of Iron as well as the director's 'unorthodox' take on the clash between the Germans and the Russians, the staging and appearance of the battle scenes, the specific casting choices that were made, etc. In English.

• Commentary Two - this archival audio commentary was recorded by film historian and author Stephen Prince. This is a very, very good commentary that was also included on the U.S. DVD release and Blu-ray release of Cross of Iron that Hen's Tooth Video produced in 2006 and 2018, respectively. Mr. Prince discusses in great detail the discrepancies between Willi Heinrich's novel and Sam Peckinpah's interpretation of the original material from it, key historic events, the difficult production history of the film, its reception and placement in the director's body of work, etc. If you like the film, I strongly suggest that you listen to the commentary in its entirety.

• "Blood Cuts" - in this exclusive new program, film editors Tony Lawson and Michael Ellis recall their collaborations with Sam Peckinpah and discuss the director's notorious "chaotic" way of working. There are some particularly interesting comments about the shooting of Cross of Iron in Yugoslavia and the enormous amount of great footage that apparently did not make it to the final version of the film. In English, not subtitled. (40 min).

• "More Blood" - in this exclusive new program, make-up supervisor Colin Arthur recalls his interactions with various German crew members during the production of Cross of Iron and the particular make-up/special effects that he used. Also, there are interesting comments about Sam Peckinpah's directing methods. In English, not subtitled. (42 min).

• Promoting Steiner - presented here is an extensive collection of promotional materials -- posters, lobby cards, press book, magazine covers, etc. -- from around the world. With music. (11 min).

• Steiner on the Set - presented here is a collection of one hundred rare stills from the shooting of Cross of Iron. With music. (10 min).

• Filming Steiner - Part One - presented here is a rare collection of two hundred behind the scenes stills. In Black and white. With music. (10 min).

• Filming Steiner - Part Two - presented here are the remaining behind the scenes stills. In black and white. With music. (10 min).

• Steiner in Color - presented here are additional behind the scenes/production/film stills. In color. With music. (10 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Cross of Iron. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• U.S. TV spot - presented here is a vintage U.S. TV spot for Cross of Iron. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO - CROSS OF IRON GRINDHOUSE VERSION

• Grindhouse Version - presented here is a "grindhouse version" of Cross Iron, courtesy of Mike Siegel. For additional information, see the video section of this article. In German, not subtitled. English LPCM 2.0. Not subtitled. (133 min).

• Passion & Poetry: Sam Peckinpah's War - presented here is plenty of footage addressing the production of Cross of Iron that also appeared in Mike Siegel's documentary Passion & Poetry: The Ballad of Sam Peckinpah, which is inlcuded on Imprint Films' recent release of Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. In English and German, with English subtitles where necessary. (49 min).

• On Location Interviews - the comments address the production of Cross of Iron, its themes, depiction of violence, and overall visual style.
  
  1. Sam Peckinpah. (6 min).
  2. James Coburn. (6 min).
  3. James Mason. (7 min).
  4. Maximilian Schell. (5 min).
  5. David Warner. (4 min).

• "Kruger Kisses Kern" - in this archival interview, actor/producer, director Vadim Glowna recalls his interactions with Sam Peckinpah and discusses his directing methods. In German, with English subtitles. (9 min).

• "Vadim & Sam :Father & Son" - in this archival interview, Vadim Glowna recalls his professional relationship and friendships with Sam Peckinpah. Mr. Glowna shares a very moving personal story about the screening of his first film, Paradise City, in Los Angeles as well. In German, with English subtitles. (7 min).

• "Cutting Room Floor" - in this archival program, cast and crew members address some of the scenes that were cut and did not make it to the final version of Cross of Iron. In German and English, with English subtitles where necessary. (5 min).

• "Steiner in Japan" - presented here are two Japanese TV commercials directed by Sam Peckinpah, starring James Coburn. In Japanese and English.(3 min).

• "Mike's Home Movies: Steiner & Kiesel Meet Again" - presented here is a filmed introduction by David Warner and James Coburn for film screening in Padua, Italy (2000). In English. (8 min).

• Deleted Scenes - presented here are several deleted scenes. In English. (13 min).

• German Theatrical Trailer - presented here is a vintage German theatrical trailer for Cross of Iron. In German, with English subtitles. (4 min).

Cross of Iron 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For years, what Sam Peckinpah did in Cross of Iron was taboo. His film dares to see the German soldiers that were dying during WWII as human beings. Of course, some of them were completely brainwashed animals that had embraced the evil their leaders in Berlin were selling, but there were plenty more that arrived at the frontline because they had to. After that, it was irrelevant how much they knew about their enemy and the politics behind the war they were sent to fight -- they had to kill to stay alive. James Coburn's character leads a small group of German soldiers that are forced to participate in this evil theater, fully aware that winning or losing is utterly meaningless.

This three-disc set from Australian label Imprint Films introduces StudioCanal's new 4K restoration of Cross of Iron, on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray, with an incredible amount of exclusive new and archival bonus features. If you are a fan of the film, I suggest that you give yourself an early Christmas present while it is still easy to acquire. All three discs are Region-Free. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.