

Cross of Iron
On the Eastern front in 1943, the German soldiers no longer had any ideals. They were not fighting for the Party—but for their lives!
It is 1943, and the German army—ravaged and demoralised—is hastily retreating from the Russian front. In the midst of the madness, conflict brews between the aristocratic yet ultimately pusillanimous Captain Stransky and the courageous Corporal Steiner. Stransky is the only man who believes that the Third Reich is still vastly superior to the Russian army. However, within his pompous persona lies a quivering coward who longs for the Iron Cross so that he can return to Berlin a hero. Steiner, on the other hand is cynical, defiantly non-conformist and more concerned with the safety of his own men rather than the horde of military decorations offered to him by his superiors.
TMDB
7.1/10
511 votes
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $6M
- Box office
- $1.5M
- Language
- German
- hostility
- world war ii
- battle for power
- troops
- commander
- lieutenant
- sergeant
- thoughtful
- empathetic
Top billed cast












Behind the camera
Director
Music
Produced in
Germany, United Kingdom
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for India. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereNew York City, New York11 May 1977
- TheatricalR20 May 1977
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical15Originally X10 Feb 1977
AustraliaAU
- TheatricalMA 15+10 Feb 1977
- PhysicalMA 15+DVD15 Aug 2017
BelgiumBE
- Theatrical26 Aug 1982
ColombiaCO
- Theatrical15 Sept 1977
CzechiaCZ
- Physical1 Oct 1993
- Physical24 Jun 2002
DenmarkDK
- Theatrical1525 Apr 1977
FinlandFI
- TheatricalK-188 Apr 1977
FranceFR
- TheatricalTP18 Jan 1978
- TheatricalRestored version25 Sept 2015
GermanyDE
- Theatrical16West Germany 28 Jan 1977
- TV16ZDF31 Jan 1987
GreeceGR
- Theatrical1518 Jan 1978
Hong KongHK
- Theatrical5 Feb 1982
Frequently asked questions
Cross of Iron was released on 28 January 1977.
Audience reviews
3- J9/10
John Chard
4/26/2020
War is Peckinpah's survival hell. Out on the Eastern Front 1943, battered by the war itself, a war they are losing, a platoon of German soldiers must also cope with a new aristocratic commander who deeply covets the Cross Of Iron, Germany's highest medal of honour. Universally hated and panned by the critics upon release, Cross Of Iron now stands up as one of director Sam Peckinpah's finest works. On first glan…
- W7/10
Wuchak
10/26/2023
**_Brutal Germans vs. Russians WW2 flick with James Coburn and Maximilian Schell_** As defeat looms on the Eastern Front, an awarded, but battle-worn German NCO (Coburn) vies with a newly-appointed captain, a Prussian aristocrat, who’s obsessed with obtaining the Iron Cross (Schell), even if he has to get it by fraud. James Mason and David Warner have peripheral roles. Loosely based on the true story of Johann …
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
2/4/2024
The aristocratic "Capt. Stransky" (Maximilian Schell) is put in charge of an accomplished squadron of men that works well under its no-nonsense "Sgt. Steiner" (James Coburn), and into battle against the approaching Soviets they go. A bloody encounter ensues and upon their return, victorious to a point, to their trenches he encourages "Col. Brandt" (James Mason) to nominate him for an Iron Cross. He cites two officers…
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