Cross of Iron + intro

WWII, 1943, the Russian front. An arrogant, aristocratic Prussian Officer named Stransky is assigned as the new commander of a German platoon. His only ambition is to win the Iron Cross in order to maintain his family’s honour. 

When Stransky falsely claims credit for leading the squad into a bloody battle against the Russians, he names gutsy Sergeant Rolf Steiner as his witness. When Steiner refuses to be complicit, a battle of wills between the two men ensures – one that will endanger the entire platoon. 

Perhaps the last great film of Peckinpah’s career, Cross of Iron divided opinion on its initial release but is now heralded as a powerful addition to cinema’s anti-war canon. Marked out by its intense, unflinching combat scenes, it is a bloody and thought-provoking depiction of the horrors of war. 

Event/ This screening will be introduced by Andy Willis, Senior Visiting Curator: Film at HOME, and Professor of Film Studies, University of Salford.