7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.6 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
German officers and soldiers retreating from the disastrous Russian front engage in both camaraderie and bitter rivalries.
Starring: James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason (I), David Warner, Klaus LöwitschDrama | 100% |
War | 79% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, German
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Sam Peckinpah's "Cross of Iron" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include theatrical trailers; cast and crew interviews; Mike Siegel's documentary "Passion & Poetry: Sam Peckinpah's War"; and more. In English, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Corporal Steiner
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.84:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sam Peckinpah's Cross of Iron arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
A wonderful high-definition transfer! It is not flawless, but it has a terrific organic look that does the film justice. I've gone through a couple of DVD releases of Cross of Iron during the years and this is clearly the very best the film has ever looked. (Unfortunately, the press materials I received do not specify when and where the film was restored).
First of all, there are no traces of problematic digital corrections. As a result, the overwhelming majority of the natural film grain has been retained. Some light noise occasionally pops up, but fine object detail is excellent, even during the massive fight inside the factory. Second, contrast levels remain stable throughout the entire film. Color reproduction is also excellent -- the greens, browns, reds, blues, grays, and blacks look fresh and healthy (on the old R2 UK DVD release, which uses a dated StudioCanal transfer, the film's delicate color scheme is very problematic). This said, there are a couple of scenes where some extremely light sharpening is noticeable -- a good example is the scene where Steiner's men meet the Russian women -- but it is never overly distracting. Finally, there are no distracting age-related imperfections. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content. Also, please note that the disc's main menu can be set in English or German).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0 (with portions of Russian). For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. (Optional German subtitles are also available if one sets the disc's main menu in German).
The English LPCM 2.0 track enhances the many battle scenes in the film very well. Obviously, the dynamic intensity is not as impressive as that of recent war films that have appeared on Blu-ray, but the sound has very pleasing depth and vibrancy; there are no balance issues either. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. For the record, there are no problematic pops, cracks, hissings, or audio dropouts.
Optimum Home Entertainment have put together a fantastic package for Sam Peckinpah's legendary Cross of Iron. The film has been beautifully restored, and I have every reason to believe that this will be its definitive release for years to come. The supplemental features on the disc are also impressive. Mike Siegel's outstanding documentary Passion & Poetry: Sam Peckinpah's War, for instance is included, as well as other informative interviews and featurettes. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
*If interested in director Sam Peckinpah's legacy, I strongly recommend Mike Siegel's superb Passion & Poetry - The Ballad Of Sam Peckinpah (Special Edition 2DVD set), which is available in Germany through El Dorado Productions.
**The newly restored version of Cross of Iron will be showing at the Odeon Panton St. (in London) from June 17th. So if you are visiting London, this would a terrific opportunity to see the film theatrically.
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