"Cross of Iron" question

[G. Trifkovic]

Dragomir Stanojevic

Dragomir Stanojevic, aka "Bata Kameni" ("Bata the Rock") is the most famous Yugoslav stuntman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bata_Kameni), so I guess he was all over the movie (in both uniforms).

Cheers,

G.

[askropp]

Hmm ... maybe he also has a cameo? I would need a picture of "Bata" from the 1970s ...

As for Prohic, I have two favorite possibilities: the (nameless, although he surely bears a name in Heinrich's novel) Leutnant who replaces Meyer and tries to stop Steiner during the air attack, or the nameless Feldwebel in charge of the convoy with convalescents.

[B Hellqvist]

IMDb is listing several Yugoslav actors who participated in "Cross of Iron", but without their role names. From what I was able to find out, the following seems to be the case:

Igor Galo - Leutnant Meyer
Slavko Stimac - Michail (Soviet boy soldier)

Some trivia: Slavko Stimac played Sven Hassel in "Wheels of Terror" (a.k.a. "The Misfit Brigade"). We were discussing CoI some years ago on IMDb, and one member mentioned that he had met Igor Galo at a film festival in Sarajevo in the mid-90's. He stepped up to Galo and said "You need to be careful around Soviet bayonets". Galo answered that he was surprised anyone remembered that. He should only know that he played a role that many viewers liked a lot.

[askropp]

Having the opportunity to watch the movie in HD (with frequent slow motions and replays) for the first time, I still discover new details even 25 years after I first saw it. I just noticed that Maag is an Oberschütze, his rank pip being visible when the Zug leaves its bunker during the tank attack after Stransky kept back the withdrawal order.

[forseti79]

I thought this film was rather strange, especially its portrayal of Stransky. I guess every film needs a "villain" but the idea of a cowardly Prussian officer who doesn't know how to reload his gun is a little silly, isn't it?

For anyone who's read the book, how close is the film to it?

[askropp]

I found some photos of "Bata" Stanojevic, and I think he played Gefreiter Keppler, Triebig's orderly and lover.

[B Hellqvist]

I thought this film was rather strange, especially its portrayal of Stransky. I guess every film needs a "villain" but the idea of a cowardly Prussian officer who doesn't know how to reload his gun is a little silly, isn't it?

I interpret it that Stransky isn't a coward, but that he thinks that officers should lead from the rear. He has obviously no or very little frontline combat experience, with little weapons training. He is clearly out of his depth, but if wasn't so arrogant, he might make a decent company commander.

For anyone who's read the book, how close is the film to it?

Well, the part with the female Russian soldiers is in the very beginning of the novel, and the ending is different, but it sticks pretty close to the book in a general way.

[askropp]

RIP Maximilian Schell (1930-2014).

There will never be a Stransky like his again.

[Breezy]

I ran across this thread and noticed that it quoted from the articles I wrote about the film for Wargamer magazine. As there seems to be some interest in the subject and my articles are no longer available online I am posting them here for you all to enjoy. This is the first of the articles "A Saving Private Ryan for the German Army". The Steel Panther scenarios are still available

[Breezy]

This is the 2nd of my articles about Cross of iron. It covers the irony of the story and its historical background

[Breezy]

This is the 3rd article. It explores a major change between book, script and final film and why Steiner is a corporal after 4 years in the Heer

[askropp]

In the film, Steiner is an Unteroffizier at first and is later promoted to Feldwebel (in the book, he even gets back his former rank of Oberfeldwebel). So he could be compared to a British corporal or an US sergeant at first, later to a British sergeant or an US staff sergeant. In any case, he is NOT on a par with Obergefreiter Karl "Schnurrbart" Reisenauer, but (at least at the beginning) with Unteroffizier Krüger.

[Breezy]

I wrote this for a much broader audience of gamers and such and kept with ranks that were simple to understand. The point of the article is to show what was left out of Steiner's characterization in the film

[B Hellqvist]

Ah, I remember those articles! Good work! Minor quibble: it's David Warner, not John. Anyway, your look at the movie is sound, and while the moviegoers of today are spoiled by (even) more realistic fare, the impact of CoI when I saw it for the first time back in 1982 (IIRC) was major.

[Breezy]

Thank you. I do remember I screwed up Warner's name. Also to Askropp, in the book, the first page Steiner is introduced as a coproral. "While the Russian artillery was savagely blasting away, the sun went down behind the enormous woods. It had been the same yesterday and the day before yesterday and it would be the same tomorrow and forever. The men sat around the bunker. Schnurrbart pried at the tar in the bowl of his pipe. Corporal Steiner felt for a cigarette in his pocket"