''Breakthrough'', also released as ''Steiner - Das Eiserne Kreuz, 2'' and ''Sergeant Steiner'' is a 1979

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

set on the Western Front, specifically the Normandy coastline. The picture is a sequel to

Sam Peckinpah David Samuel Peckinpah (; February 21, 1925 – December 28, 1984) was an American film director and screenwriter. His 1969 Western epic '' The Wild Bunch'' received an Academy Award nomination and was ranked No. 80 on the American Film Institut ...

's '' Cross of Iron'', and includes several characters from that film. The film starred several big names including

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...

and Rod Steiger. Burton (Sergeant Steiner) and

Helmut Griem Helmut Griem (6 April 1932 – 19 November 2004) was a German film, television and stage actor, and director. Biography Born in Hamburg, Griem was primarily a stage actor, appearing at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg, the Deutsches Schauspielhaus ...

(Major Stransky) assume the roles played by James Coburn and Maximilian Schell respectively in the original film. The supporting cast features

Michael Parks Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940 – May 9, 2017) was an American singer and actor. He appeared in many films and made frequent television appearances, notably starring in the 1969–1970 series '' Then Came Bronson'', but ...

and

Curd Jürgens Curd Gustav Andreas Gottlieb Franz Jürgens (13 December 191518 June 1982) was a German-Austrian stage and film actor. He was usually billed in English-speaking films as Curt Jurgens. He was well known for playing Ernst Udet in '' Des Teufels Gene ...

. Klaus Löwitsch is the only actor from ''Cross of Iron'' to reprise his role.

Plot

Starting in late May 1944, during the German retreat on the Eastern Front, Captain Stransky (

) orders Sergeant Steiner (

) to blow up a railway tunnel to prevent Russian forces from using it. Steiner's platoon fails in its mission after coming up against a Russian tank. He then takes a furlough to Paris just as the Allies launch their invasion of Normandy. Steiner's unit is transferred to France, occupying the village of St Bologne. General Hoffman (

) orders Steiner to cross into nearby enemy territory and confer with American Colonel Rogers (

) and General Webster ( Rod Steiger), informing him that the High Command of the German Army (

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

) is plotting to assassinate Hitler and would like to surrender. The plan fails and American forces launch an attack on German forces in St Bologne where Stransky has planned an explosion to destroy both the Americans and the civilian inhabitants. Steiner clearly sympathises more with the Americans, even to the extent of killing his fellow soldiers.

Cast

as Sergeant Rolf Steiner *

as Colonel Rogers * Rod Steiger as General Webster *

as Sergeant Anderson *

as General Hoffmann *

as Major von Stransky * Klaus Löwitsch as Corporal Krüger * Christoph Waltz as Paramedic * Günter Meisner as SS Officer

Reception and criticism

''Breakthrough'' was mostly financed by West German producers when it was released in 1979, after several changes were made to the sequel: for instance, the action was relocated from Russia to the Western Front and

replaced Coburn as Sgt Steiner. The film was panned by critics, who identified a confusing plot, poor dialogue, an aged cast and undistinguished acting.

References

External links

* {{Andrew V. McLaglen 1979 films 1970s war films 1970s English-language films English-language German films Films about the 20 July plot Films directed by Andrew McLaglen Films set in 1944 Films set in France 1970s German-language films German war films Western Front of World War II films West German films World War II films based on actual events Constantin Film films German World War II films 1970s German films