Cross of Iron
Constantin Film | Release Date: May 20, 1977 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
VarietyStaff (Not Credited)
Cross of Iron more than anything else affirms director Sam Peckinpah's prowess as an action filmmaker of graphic mayhem. Read full review
80
Time OutStaff (Not Credited)
Sombre and claustrophobic photography, an intelligent script, and Peckinpah's clear understanding of a working platoon of men, are all far removed from the monotonous simplicity of most big-budget war films. Read full review
80
The TelegraphRachel Ward
Samuel Peckinpah drank four bottles of whisky a day while filming his only war movie, but clearly it did nothing to diminish the power of his last masterpiece, related from the viewpoint of a German platoon retreating from the Russian front in 1943. [05 Apr 2014, p.33]
78
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Cross of Iron is a WWII movie seen through the eyes of German protagonists. Incredible montage sequences and another parable about Peckinpah’s embattled position within the film industry can be found within. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
CROSS OF IRON is anything but a standard WWII movie, especially compared to its mythicizing contemporaries. Shot superbly by cinematographer Coquillon, the film shows war as hideously brutal, inglorious, and insane. Read full review
70
The Observer (UK)Philip French
James Mason as the commanding officer and David Warner as his adjutant are both first rate, as are Coburn and Schell. This was Peckinpah's last important work and his only war movie. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineEric Henderson
Cross of Iron would almost seem a proper mea culpa by Peckinpah for his controversial career, and the pre-Dogville closing credit sequence featuring a risible, anti-patriotic photo slideshow reveals a director still capable of new and inventive provocation tactics. Read full review
60
The GuardianAlex Von Tunzelmann
Cross of Iron is an atmospheric, unflinching tale of the German retreat, though its sedate pace holds it back from greatness. Read full review
40
The New York TimesVincent Canby
Cross of Iron is Mr. Peckinpah's least interesting, least personal film in years, a hysterically elaborate, made-in-Yugoslavia war spectacle, the work of international financiers and a multinational cast, most of whom are supposed to be Germans although they sound like delegates to an international PEN convention. Read full review
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