22. "Cross of Iron" (1977)

World War II Movie Night gets edgy with the 1977 Sam Peckipah
feature "Cross of Iron." Reviled upon its release, COI has grown
in esteem the last few decades, helped along by famous fans such
as Quentin Tarantino. Violence and betrayal reign as the German
army retreats from the Russians, and everyman Steiner has to
contend with Machiavellian climber Stransky. A different kind of
movie than we're used to, does "Cross of Iron"'s emphasis on the
mental and physical toll of war--and its anti-patriotism--make it
the post-Vietnam World War II movie?... Asides include a Charlie
Brown movie and the psychedelic aesthetic of the '70s.