Cross of Iron

The only war film in Sam Peckinpah’s oeuvre is a visually striking morality play, echoing Stanley Kubrick’s legendary Paths of Glory. Set during World War II on the brutal Eastern Front, the story follows a battle-hardened Wehrmacht sergeant (James Coburn) who finds himself under the command of Captain Stransky (Maximilian Schell), an aristocratic officer obsessed with winning the titular medal. A deadly power struggle unfolds between the two, with the lives of the soldiers on the front line becoming mere collateral damage. Peckinpah crafts his anti-war manifesto with extraordinary precision – part brilliantly acted psychological thriller (also featuring the excellent James Mason), part innovatively edited war epic. At the same time, it’s a detached and deeply ironic reflection on the futility of war, where even politics takes a backseat to the personal ambitions of blind men with dictatorial tendencies. The film’s biting message, often shocking in its honesty, remains strikingly relevant today.

Marcin Pieńkowski

Sam Peckinpah (1925–1984) was an American director and screenwriter known for his revolutionary approach to violence in cinema. His career gained momentum in the 1960s, as evidenced by films such as Ride the High Country (1962) and The Wild Bunch (1969). Peckinpah earned critical acclaim for his realistic depiction of violence and complex character portrayals, although his work often sparked controversy.

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