CROSS OF IRON is a riveting and violent tale of men on the front lines of battle and it is the only war film directed by master filmmaker Sam Peckinpah. Set in 1943, this explosive epic centers on Corporal Steiner (James Coburn), an accomplished but war-weary combat veteran leading a group of German soldiers on the Russian front. Steiner's authority comes under attack when Captain Stransky (Maximilian Schell) takes over command of his troops. Stransky has only one goal in mind: to win the coveted Iron Cross, Germany's highest medal, at any cost. The two military aces soon face off in an intense and deadly battle of wills.