68 CROSS OF IRON
to credit Meyer, and has consequently been nominated for the Iron Cross. Stran-
sky named as witnesses Lt. Triebig (Roger Fritz), who he blackmailed with his
knowledge of Triebig’s homo sexuality, and Steiner. Stransky implores Steiner to
back up his story, but Steiner makes no promises. When questioned by Brandt,
Steiner bitterly claims that he abhors military officers on princi ple and asks for some
time to fully consider his reply. In the interim, Stansky is told that his patrol must
pull back, but he fails to let Steiner know, thus forsaking Steiner’s entire platoon.
As Steiner’s men come to the German frontlines, they send word ahead in the hopes
of avoiding friendly fire. Stransky deviously mentions to Triebig that Steiner and
his men could be “mistaken” for Rus sian soldiers, if they should choose to kill them.
As a result, Triebig commands his troops to fire upon the Germans; only Steiner
and two of his men survive. Steiner kills Triebig and then searches for Stransky.
The Soviet forces unleash a forceful assault, and Brandt both emboldens the troops
into a counterattack and calls for the immediate evacuation of Kiesel. In the midst
of the battle, a song plays until the ending credits. Steiner locates Stransky, but
decides to leave him alive, giving him a weapon for battle to see “where the crosses
of iron grow.” Stransky takes on Steiner’s “challenge,” and the pair go into battle.
The movie ends with Stransky failing to properly reload his weapon and being
wounded by a Soviet soldier (Sweeney MacArthur), who looks similar to the young
Rus sian released by Steiner in the beginning of the film. Stransky audaciously begs
Steiner for assistance, and Steiner’s laughter carries viewers to the end credits.Reception
Initially released in Eu rope and Japan in the early months of 1977, Cross of Iron did
well at the box office, particularly in Germany. Released in the United States mid-
May of that year, the movie tanked commercially and reviews were mixed. Some
American critics praised the film as an effective anti- war movie that signaled Peck-
inpah’s comeback, whereas others were dismissive. For example, David Rosen-
baum pronounced it “worse than your typical blow-’em-up war movie because it
is pretentious” (Rosenbaum, 1977) and the anonymous reviewer for Variety termed
it “well but conventionally cast, technically impressive, but ultimately violence-
fixated” (1 January 1977). After seeing the film, Orson Welles cabled Peckinpah,
praising Cross of Iron as “the best war film he had seen about the ordinary enlisted
man since All Quiet on the Western Front” (Seydor, 1995, p. 20). Director Quentin
Tarantino, a Peckinpah fan, cites the film as one of his favorite WWII movies and
acknowledges it as a key influence on his decision to make Inglorious Basterds (2009).Reel History Versus Real History
The battle action in Cross of Iron is fictional and generic and is not meant to repre-
sent any specific engagements on the Eastern Front in 1943. However, author Willi
Heinrich did base Sgt. Rolf Steiner, the lead character of his novel, Das Geduldige
Fleisch, on Johann Schwerdfeger (1914–2015). A stalwart German noncommis-
sioned officer, Schwerdfeger enlisted in the Wehrmacht in 1935, joined Jäger Reg-
iment 228 of the 101st Jäger Division in June 1942, fought in the Don Bend at
Rostov and Maykop in the Caucasus, and took part in the German retreat through