THE CROSS OF IRON

The Kuban Bridgehead was a dangerous place in 1943. The southernmost portions of Field Marshall von Manstein's Army Group South was fighting a desperate delaying action on the Taman Peninsula, across a narrow strait from the much larger Crimean Peninsula. Victory was an illusion retained by few. The best higher headquarters could hope for was to hold back the Russians until German troops could evacuate the Crimea. The best the German "Landser," or GI, could hope for was a wound serious enough to warrant a trip home. Most expected death or a long stay in Siberia.

Our cast of characters are members of an infantry regiment that has been in combat for over two years. The German High Command has decided not to give the regiment a long promised rest since only about 10% of the troops were left from the over 4,000 men that invaded Russia. They decided that since most of the regiment were relative newcomers, the regiment didn't need a rest. Somehow that logic was lost on our protagonists, most of whom had been with the regiment since the onset of Operation Barbarrosa. Our heros are embittered, tired and fatalistic. They had long since ceased fighting for "Grossdeutschland" and were fighting for their lives and for their comrades.

The author of the book, Willi Heinrich, was a combat veteran of an outfit much like our fictional regiment. His unit on the Russian front was refilled twelve times during the war, with him one of the few survivors. His novel, written in 1956, has been critically ac- claimed as the "All Quiet on the Western Front" of WWII. The personae dramatis are:

Senior Sergeant Rolf Steiner - Sgt. Steiner is the main protagonist. His battle of wills with Captain Stransky, his battalion commander is the main theme of the book. Sgt. Steiner is the platoon leader of 1st platoon, 2nd company of Capt. Stransky's battalion. He is portrayed by James Cobern, an unlikely choice for a German NCO. Cobern does an excellent and believable job in this role.

Captain Stransky is the villain of the story. He is an unprincipled opportunist who engineered his transfer to the eastern front from a plush staff job in occupied France just to win the Iron Cross. The troops called people like him "IC Hounds." He planned to have his cousin, a Major General, return him to France as soon as he won his Iron Cross, and long before the inevitable German defeat. His plan to win the award he so coveted backfired when Sgt. Steiner's testimony threatened to expose a falsified battle report in which Stransky took credit for an assault led by someone else, some who conveniently died in his effort. Will Stransky win the Iron Cross or a court-martial? Stransky's theory of leadership is that an officer should lead by the force of his personality and should dominate the individual and collective wills of his soldiers. Far from being dominated, Steiner becomes his worst nightmare. Stransky is played to perfection by Maximilian Shell. I feel his was the stand-out performance in his portrayal of this medal-hungry, pompous ass.

Lieutenant Colonel Brandt is Stransky's immediate superior, the regimental commander. Brandt is an honorable soldier of the old school. Like his troops, he is burned out and fatalistic. He has a special affection for Steiner, who saved his life when Brandt commanded 2nd Company. Brandt discovers that Steiner is a difficult man to help. He finds out Stransky for a lying coward and looks to Sgt. Steiner's Testimony to put him away. Why is Steiner reluctant? James Mason portrays Brandt, giving his usual, excellent performance.

Captain Kiesel is Colonel Brandt's adjutant. He is a decent, if slightly neurotic, person who acts as Brandt's sounding board for what would otherwise be philosophical soliloquies. David Warner is quite effective in this supporting role.

Lieutenant Triebig is Capt. Stransky's adjutant. He hates Stransky because Stransky recognized him as one who had more than a soldierly interest in his troops and threatens to expose him. One gets the idea that Stransky's pleasure in getting the goods on Triebig outweighs his revulsion about Triebig's conduct. Steiner caught Triebig in flagrante delicto with his orderly and took advantage of the situation by beating him up. (Steiner hated officers anyway.) Stransky enlists him in his vendetta against Steiner.

Lieutenant Meyer is Sgt. Steiner's company commander. Although he wouldn't admit it, Steiner respects Meyer who is a good leader. Meyer actually led the attack for which Stransky took credit.

The characters of the various members of Steiner's platoon are not developed too deeply in the movie. They are far from the "Combat-Happy Joes of Easy Company" we remember from Sergeant Rock comic books. His best friend - as much of a friend as a loner like Steiner would allow - was Schnurrbart (Mustache in German). He would always be there to back Steiner up. Other characters included Dorn, the "professor," Zoll, the rapist, and Dietz, the young soldier who Steiner took under his wing. Kruger, who was half Russian, would play a vital role when the platoon is cut off behind the Russian lines. These men loved one another because each other was all they had. Though they argued and fought among themselves, they were closer than brothers. Sometimes they didn't realize that until their comrades were killed or wounded.

The movie closely followed the book in philosophy, tone and in the characters. The action is similar, but out of order. The endings are different, but I liked the movie's ending much better. In fact, it contains one of my favorite lines from a movie. I won't spoil the surprise. Sam Peckinpah directed and it is predictably, yet appropriately, violent. German authors tend to philosophize, but the movie has cut that to an acceptable level. I feel that this is one of the best war movies ever. It was released too near the end of the Vietnam War to be accepted for the great movie it is.