Studio Canal has released "Cross of Iron" on Blu-ray in Region "B" that can be purchased from Amazon.uk or Amazon.fr. The movie was based on a novel by Will Heinrich and was Sam Pekinpah's only war film. The film is an intense and uncompromising affair that brilliantly reflects both the futility of the conflict and the director's fascination with individuals confronted by events beyond their control. The Blu-ray is a big improvement compared to the DVD. John Coquillon filmed in somber tones to emphasize the horrors of combat. Because of the added detail the movie exhibits great depth based on background items being clearly defined. You can clearly see the horror in the German soldiers faces as they retreat from Russia. The audio is much more fuller with lots of background sound. Video: 1080P/24 Audio: 2.0 Mono Region Code: "B" Running Time: 133 Minutes. Starring: James Coburn, James Mason, Maximillian Schell, David Werner and Senta Berger. James Coburn and Senta Coburn also appear with Charleton Heston & Richard Harris in Sam Pekinpah's western masterpiece "Major Dundee" which is not yet on Blu-ray.
I have this Blu and it is an improvement. There is a documentary callede "Sam Peckinpah's War" included. Combined with the inferior-looking Hen's tooth domestic DVD, which contains trailer and commentary track, you've got a decent special edition.
