

ON THE EASTERN FRONT IN 1943, THE GERMAN SOLDIERS NO LONGER HAD ANY IDEALS. THEY WERE NOT FIGHTING FOR THE PARTY—BUT FOR THEIR LIVES!
It is 1943, and the German army—ravaged and demoralised—is hastily retreating from the Russian front. In the midst of the madness, conflict brews between the aristocratic yet ultimately pusillanimous Captain Stransky and the courageous Corporal Steiner. Stransky is the only man who believes that the Third Reich is still vastly superior to the Russian army. However, within his pompous persona lies a quivering coward who longs for the Iron Cross so that he can return to Berlin a hero. Steiner, on the other hand is cynical, defiantly non-conformist and more concerned with the safety of his own men rather than the horde of military decorations offered to him by his superiors.
Ratings
3.5
Cast

James Coburn
Unteroffizier / Feldwebel Rolf Steiner

Maximilian Schell
Hauptmann Stransky

James Mason
Oberst Brandt

David Warner
Hauptmann Kiesel

Klaus Löwitsch
Unteroffizier Krüger

Vadim Glowna
Gefreiter Kern

Roger Fritz
Leutnant Treibig

Dieter Schidor
Anselm

Burkhard Driest
Schütze Maag

Fred Stillkrauth
Unteroffizier Schnurrbart
Michael Nowka
Dietz

Véronique Vendell
Marga

Arthur Brauss
Zoll

Senta Berger
Eva

Demeter Bitenc
Hauptmann Pucher (uncredited)

Igor Galo
Leutnant Meyer (uncredited)
Katherine Haber
Nurse Sadie Finkelstein (uncredited)
Wolf C. Hartwig
Hartwig (uncredited)

Wolfgang Hess
Schütze Maag (voice) (uncredited)
Sweeney MacArthur
Boy Soldier (uncredited)

Irfan Mensur
Partizan Soldier (uncredited)

Hermina Pipinić
Ruskinja (uncredited)

Robert Rietti
German Officer (voice) (uncredited)

Dragomir Stanojević
Corporal Joseph Keppler (uncredited)

Slavko Štimac
Michail (uncredited)
Crew
Director
Director of Photography
Original Music Composer
Novel
Production Assistant
Co-Producer
Additional Editing
Production Design
Editorial Services
Orchestrator
Makeup Artist
Hairstylist
Camera Operator
Assistant Editor
Assistant Director
Art Direction
Production Supervisor
Still Photographer
Special Effects
First Assistant Camera
Stunts
Stunt Coordinator
Grip
Script Supervisor
Music Editor
Details
Release Date
1977-01-29
Runtime
132 min
Original Language
English
Languages
German
English
French
Russian
Production Companies
Rapid Film
EMI Films
Terra-Filmkunst
Alex Winitsky / Arlene Sellers Productions
Countries
Germany
United Kingdom
Genres
Drama
Action
History
War