Sam Peckinpah (1925–1984)

1943, fronte russo. Un battaglione della Wehrmacht, comandato dal colonnello Brandt tenta di resistere all'assalto sovietico. Nella battaglia eccelle il duro sergente Steiner che prima di essere ricoverato in ospedale per una grave ferita si è rifiutato di affermare il falso per far guadagnare la croce di ferro al capitano Stransky. L'ufficiale si vendica non comunicando a Steiner e ai suoi che è arrivato l'ordine di ritirarsi. Sarà un massacro, ma Steiner riesce ugualmente a salvarsi e a costringere Stransky alla resa dei conti. (fonte: retro del dvd)… (meer)

This film is set on the Russian front in WWII; however, there's no snow and ice as in this case the front is in the Crimea in summer, perhaps to make filming easier. The basic story is that of a German platoon being forced out by Soviet soldiers, and what transpires. James Coburn plays the hard but fair platoon sergeant well; and Maximilian Schell does well as the cowardly captain. There are plenty of Peckinpah trademarks, in particular thousands of bullets and no shying away from nastier things, except maybe in the few scenes involving women. There's a bit of a tension, perhaps intentional, between the theme of war as a senseless game, emphasised particularly in the opening and closing credits and in scenes where Coburn is concussed and hallucinating, and on the other hand the very sentimental themes of brotherhood and honour which run through the main story.… (meer)