Cross of Iron, Sam Peckinpah's Tale of War

While I kept some of my original article from 2016, this is essentially a new article as of May 11, 2020.


When I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, movies and television had lots of Westerns and war stories. The production codes of those times very much limited how realistic these stories could be, and thus they were often romanticized well beyond the grim truth. Sam Peckinpah was one of the directors to break down the walls of romanticized and glamorized stories that were really horror stories. It's tough for some to get a handle on how showing graphic violence is "antiwar," but by showing how devastating, horrible and gruesome war really is, it might just give people encouragement to pressure warmongers to put the brakes on, and to keep war as a last option; although of course, the warmongers can take a gun and go off to war on their own or as part of some "merry band" and fight one another. This 1977 movie isn't really so much about Germans fighting Russians; rather, it is Peckinpah showing the soldiers of any nation who fight and often die or are wounded, versus the "higher ups," and the "medal scavengers," as he calls them in one scene of the film. I've got to believe Peckinpah saw Sergeant Steiner as himself, as Peckinpah was not one to toe the mark. Some thought the film was overkill (no pun intended ... okay, it WAS intended), but that was Peckinpah's point, the film doesn't say "war is hell," it screams, "WAR IS HELL AND NOBODY WINS!" "Cross of Iron" is one of the greatest war films ever made, but it is graphic and it should certainly dispel anyone's idea of war being some glamorous endeavor. I guess that's what makes it so great.
     
Many years ago I bought a paperback book called, "Cross of Iron," by Willi Heinrich, who was born in Heidelberg, and who was a former soldier in both Hitler's Wehrmacht and later in the West German Bundeswehr. The book, originally translated into English and published as "The Willing Flesh" in the 1950s, is a novel about a platoon of German soldiers fighting in the Soviet Union in 1943. The story is set in the Taman Peninsula in the southern part of the Soviet Union, an area where the author served during World War Two (he was wounded several times). I don't remember exactly, but I believe I hadn't had the book very long, when along came the movie by that title, "based" upon the book. The film was directed by Sam Peckinpah, who is best known for directing "The Wild Bunch," starring William Holden.

Cast (I'm using the English translation of the German military ranks and the cast is more extensive than what I'm listing here):

Corporal, then Sergeant Rolf Steiner ......................................... James Coburn
Captain Stransky ........................................................................ Maximilian Schell
Colonel Brandt ........................................................................... James Mason
Captain Kiesel ............................................................................ David Warner
Corporal Krüger ......................................................................... Klaus Löwitsch
Private Kern ............................................................................... Vadim Glowna
Lieutenant Triebig ...................................................................... Roger Fritz
Private Anselm ........................................................................... Dieter Schidor
Eva .............................................................................................. Senta Berger
Private Maag ............................................................................... Burkhard Driest
Corporal "Schnurrbart" (nickname means "Mustache") ............. Fred Stillkrauth
Lieutenant Meyer ........................................................................ Igor Galo
Zoll .............................................................................................. Arthur Brauss
Private Dietz ................................................................................ Michael Nowka

The film opens with the title, cast and credits displayed over snippets of a series of real German propaganda and military newsreel films showing children in the Hitler Youth, young people in cheering crowds, soldiers receiving medals, Hitler in various poses and soldiers fighting as bombs explode around them. In the background, the German children's song "Hänschen Klein" ("Little Hans") is playing. The first line of the song is, "Hänschen Klein ... ging allein ... in die weite Welt hinein" (Little Hans goes alone into the wide world).  

Corporal Steiner, who is later promoted to sergeant, is a highly respected, cynical, anti-authority soldier, who is well liked by the other men of his platoon. Steiner and the men are largely weary and disillusioned by the war and all the horrors they've seen and experienced; horrors that never seem to end, either in real life or in their minds, and these soldiers are gradually worn down by it all. The men are committed to each other, not to political beliefs and Nazi ideology in their struggle to stay alive against the advancing Red Army. Early on the men capture a teenage Russian soldier and bring him back to their camp, in spite of standing orders to execute Russian prisoners. Upon arrival with the Russian boy, the new company commander, Captain Stransky, orders the prisoner executed per the standing order. Steiner refuses, but one of the men speaks up and says he will do it, saying this only to deceive the captain, as they take the boy with them and hide him in their quarters. Stranksy is an aristocratic Prussian officer who pulled strings to be sent to the Russian front, as he is obsessed with winning the Iron Cross* so it can adorn his uniform and he can show it off to his family and others. He had been stationed in France, which was relatively quiet at that point in the war, as the Allied invasion didn't come until the next year; thus in 1943, there was little chance to win an Iron Cross while in France. The Iron Cross has already been won by Steiner and others; in fact, Colonel Brandt, the cynical regimental commander, offers to give one of his own medals to Stransky, so little meaning the medal has for the colonel; and further, when Stransky tells Steiner that he has been promoted to sergeant, Steiner is totally unimpressed and he stands there expressionless. So Steiner and Colonel Brandt each has a medal they see as meaningless, and Stransky wants to be awarded the same medal, a situation that is highly unlikely, as Stransky cringes every time a Russian shell explodes in or around the unit's position. Stransky knows that Steiner is a tough soldier, and that he himself can never be like Steiner, so he must win the Iron Cross in another way.

Later, in what Steiner wants to be an act of humanity, he takes the Russian teenager and releases him right near the front line, only to see the boy shot and killed by Russian soldiers as he heads toward the Russian lines. The boy's killing deeply affects Steiner. War makes humanity difficult, even when it's something seemingly as simple as releasing a prisoner. The boy's killing was by Red Army soldiers moving up to launch an attack on the German positions, which they do. German casualties mount, and one of the officers, Lieutenant Meyer, is bayoneted while rallying his men in a counterattack to throw the Russians back. As all of this happens, Stransky remains in his bunker, emerging only to shout, "We're winning, we're winning," and he then dashes back into his bunker as his forehead is scratched by flying debris. On a call with Colonel Brandt, Stransky makes sure to tell the colonel he is wounded. Steiner suffers a severe concussion and Corporal Schnurrbart is wounded and both end up in a hospital, where Steiner can't get the images of his dying men and of the Russian boy out of his head. He hallucinates at times. A general comes to the hospital to see which men he can send back to the battered front. In a tragic, but great scene, the general goes to shake the hand of one of the wounded who is in a wheelchair, but the man has lost his right hand, and the soldier then offers the general the remnants of his left arm. The general stares and defiantly the soldier sticks up his leg, if the general wants to shake it, but the general moves on and orders that 65% of the hospitalized men be sent back to duty within three days. Steiner looks on in amazement. He develops a brief relationship with his nurse, which gives him an escape from all that has gone on, but in the end, he chooses to return to his unit, instead of taking convalescent leave in Germany.

Upon return to his unit, Steiner is introduced to a Nazi, a former member of an SS Einsatzgruppe,** named Zoll, who has been placed in the platoon by Stransky. Steiner bluntly tells Zoll, "I don't care what you believe or what you've done. Your duty is to us, the platoon and me. Fulfill those duties, or you will have a bayonet up your ass. Clear?" While Steiner was in the hospital, Stransky claims HE led the attack to throw back the Russians and he is nominated for the Iron Cross. Stransky names Lieutenant Triebig and Sergeant Steiner as witnesses that he led the attack. Stransky has found out that Triebig is gay (then "homosexual" was the term used), and he blackmails Triebig for his support, with Triebig signing a statement literally lying about Stransky's role in the battle that day. With Stransky coming from the Prussian aristocracy, he's accustomed to getting his way by influence or money, and he has a talk with Steiner to get him to sign the paper. Steiner asks Stransky why "the worthless piece of metal" is so important to him, and Stransky tells him that he would not be able to face his family if he returns home without the Iron Cross. Steiner bluntly tells him he doesn't think Stransky deserves an Iron Cross. Other men in the unit testify that Lieutenant Meyer led the counterattack against the Russians and that neither Captain Stransky nor Lieutenant Triebig were seen. When Colonel Brandt questions Steiner, the sergeant says Lieutenant Meyer led the attack and that Stransky was not present. Triebig doesn't really give Colonel Brandt a direct answer about Stranky leading the attack, but rather he tries to dodge such an answer, even though he signed the paper with the statement saying Stransky led the counterattack. Colonel Brandt tells Triebig it is contemptible to steal the laurels of a man who was killed in action (Lieutenant Meyer), but that's what Stransky is willing to do for glory. Steiner, sick of the arguing and lying over medals, won't reaffirm his statement about Stransky not being seen during the battle.

The German high command for that part of the Russian front decides to pull back quickly, with no rear guard for the retreat. Stransky and Triebig do not inform Steiner and his men of the retreat, and they are left all alone, with a widening gap between the platoon and the withdrawing main German forces. The Red Army attacks the platoon, complete with tanks, and a vicious battle takes place. Steiner and several of his men are able to get away, but they must now find their way to the German lines. Meanwhile, Colonel Brandt receives orders that Stransky is to be sent to Paris within a week (presumably arranged by Stransky through his connections, now that he will get his medal), and Brandt knows that if Steiner won't speak up, Stranky will get the Iron Cross and, "strut all around Paris, the arrogant, unbloodied bastard."

As the platoon moves on to try to reach the German lines, they come upon some Red Army forces, including a women's military unit. The platoon takes several women prisoners inside a house. Steiner takes the women's uniforms to disguise some of his men so that they can get through the Russian lines by deception. Being around the women stirs the hormones of some of the men, bringing one German to shout, "This isn't a brothel; this is a war!" Steiner witnesses the death of one badly wounded young Russian woman, but he begins to reestablish some order in his men. While Steiner is outside, one of the women plays up to young Private Dietz, which allows her to get close to him, and she then stabs and kills him. Meanwhile, Zoll (the Nazi) begins roughing up one of the women and he takes her into the stable area for sex. She bites him, ah, not on the ear, and Zoll screams as blood covers his pants. Steiner runs in and then gets the other women prisoners and leaves them alone with Zoll, and they beat him to death.

Back at the German lines, the Red Army is pounding the German forces, and Colonel Brandt arranges to have the more intellectual Captain Kiesel evacuated. Kiesel is Brandt's adjutant and he doesn't want to leave, even as he and Brandt discuss his evacuation as shells explode, machine guns rattle and men fall dead all over. Brandt tells him, "For many of us Germans, the exterminator is long overdue, but I've decided you are worth saving." While Kiesel says there are better people than himself, Colonel Brandt explains that when Germany is defeated, the "new" Germany that develops will need men like him. Kiesel goes to be evacuated.

When Steiner and his men get to the Russian lines, he has those dressed in Red Army uniforms hold guns on those still in German uniforms, as if they are marching German prisoners off. Corporal Krüger, one of those in Russian uniform, is fluent in Russian and he speaks to a small party of Russian troops who stops them. All goes well at first, but the Russians see those dressed in Red Army uniforms are wearing German boots. A firefight breaks out and the Germans kill the Red Army soldiers. Steiner and his men make it to the front line, and Steiner has a radio message sent to the German front line telling them he will be coming in with several Russian prisoners, so there should be no shooting. He will use the password "demarcation." Stransky and Triebig are informed of the message, and both men see their chance to be rid of Steiner. Stransky tells Triebig that no one could ever question him if he fired on a number of men dressed in Russian uniforms in the early morning light. He then orders Triebig to "take care of it," and he reminds Triebig that his connections could get Triebig transferred to quiet Biarritz in southwestern France. Triebig goes to the front line, but he doesn't tell the men stationed there about the message or password. Steiner and his men begin to approach the German positions with those in Red Army uniforms with hands behind their heads. The men shout "demarcation" and "Steiner is coming in." Russian artillery fire picks up and Russian troops can be seen, which only confuses the situation even more, as the German troops at the defensive position believe a trick is afoot. The German troops open fire on Steiner's men, and the desperate cries of the men cannot be heard over all of the firing. Triebig urges the troops to keep firing as he shouts, "It's a trick!" Finally Steiner can be seen and the German troops know there has been a terrible mistake that has taken the lives of all but two of Steiner's men. Triebig tries to get away, but Steiner follows after him and shoots him repeatedly, and when Triebig still shows life, Steiner pumps more bullets into him.

The Red Army attacks as Steiner sets off to find Stransky, who is panicked by the German collapse as he tries to get out per the order for him to be transferred to Paris. As Steiner makes his way to Stransky's office, Red Army men are breaking through everywhere and artillery shells are crashing all over. He finds Stransky putting on his coat and he gets a gun and hands it to Stransky. At first Stransky aims it at Steiner's back, but he then says he'll go with Steiner, and show him "how a Prussian officer can fight." Steiner answers, "Then I'll show you where the Iron Crosses grow." When they go outside the German troops have broken and are fleeing. Colonel Brandt comes out with a gun and tries to halt the rout, leading the German troops to stand their ground as the intense shelling continues. Once again the German children's song "Hänschen Klein" begins playing in the background as Steiner and Stransky try to get away from the advancing Red Army soldiers. Stransky stops to reload, as Steiner calls to him to get going, but Stransky is unnerved and is unfamiliar with how to even reload his gun. Steiner begins to laugh hysterically, which continues until real still photos of Germans killing civilians pop onto the screen, followed by a still photo from Vietnam, then what "appears" to be a photo from the Middle East and one from Africa (remember this film is from 1977, when the Vietnam War was still fresh in the minds of many and when tensions in the Middle East were very high, and areas of Africa were engaged in warfare. Steiner's laughter starts again and a real photo of children behind barbed wire is shown. Steiner's laughter stops with him saying, "Oh shit," but what it means is unclear. Is it just exasperation? Is he looking at Red Army troops closing in on him and he's about to die? German writer Bertolt Brecht's quote comes onto the screen as the final touch, "Don't rejoice in his defeat, you men. For though the world stood up and stopped the bastard, the bitch that bore him is in heat again." 

As I mentioned earlier, in my opinion, this is one of the greatest war films ever made, but I say that from the "big picture" viewpoint, as the main plot is not really believable to me. The idea that a colonel in any army couldn't use testimony from numerous men in a military unit, and the spoken testimony of someone like Steiner against Stransky's lying claim of leading an attack, just doesn't hold water with me. Likewise with Triebig's lying to help Stransky. Later too, near the end, as Stransky is hurrying to get out so he can head to Paris, Colonel Brandt tells him on the telephone that the situation is bad and he needs him to stay, but Stransky, a captain, says he has his orders to leave for Paris. Again, this just doesn't fit; however, I forgive the movie its shortcomings. Also the ending has gotten criticism, as Steiner kills Triebig, Stransky's underling, but he allows Stransky to live, although we don't know for certain what happens to either Stransky or Steiner. Maybe those down the chain pay the price, while those above don't necessarily pay? I don't know.    

* The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) was a decoration awarded for some special military action, including bravery, or in very rare cases, for some special non combat service to the German military. It was awarded in second class and in first class.

** The Einsatzgruppen (plural), literally "action groups," were execution units that followed behind the German forces in the Soviet Union, killing Russian Jews and other civilians. They were murderers! There were other such units earlier in the war too. 

The photo is of the Hen's Tooth DVD

 WORD HISTORY:
Medal-This word, distantly related to "mid" and "middle," and more closely related to "medial" and "medium," goes back to Indo European "medhyos," which had the notion, "amidst, in the middle, between two points." This gave Latin "medius," meaning, "middle," which then produced "medialis," meaning "in or of the middle;" thus also, "average," and this produced "medialia," one of its plural forms, which meant "halves, small halves." This then became "medalia," which meant "half the amount of a denarius" (a Roman coin), and this was rendered in Italian as "medaglia," and then borrowed by French as "médaille." English borrowed the word in the latter part of the 1500s. The verb form, meaning "to manufacture medals," developed in the mid 1800s in English, and the verb form, meaning "to win a medal in an event, often in the Olympics," developed in the 20th Century.