Breakthrough

Original title: Steiner - Das Eiserne Kreuz, 2. Teil

1979
15
1h 51m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum, and Rod Steiger in Breakthrough (1979)

In 1944 a German sergeant gets involved in an anti-Hitler conspiracy, and saves the life of an American colonel.In 1944 a German sergeant gets involved in an anti-Hitler conspiracy, and saves the life of an American colonel.In 1944 a German sergeant gets involved in an anti-Hitler conspiracy, and saves the life of an American colonel.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.0/10

1.5K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Robert Mitchum recalled that Richard Burton was drinking very heavily during filming and sometimes had to be carried onto the set.

Goofs
They went to the trouble to get a lot of things right, from the German artillery pieces to the T-34 tanks. Even the German trucks are mostly right. They didn't necessarily do such a good job on the colors. That Kubelwagen in the dark-gray color scheme is anachronistic for the period. But then we come to the aircraft. I was taken aback to see U.S. Navy Corsairs dropping bombs on the Eastern Front. And what are all those Heinkel 111s doing in the air on D-Day?

Quotes
Sgt. Rolf Steiner: NCOs cannot resign.

Alternate versions
A longer German language version runs at 126 minutes, extra scenes includes:
An opening scene that starts at the railway station, Rolf Steiner and Paul Anselm meet again and discuss their current predicament. Captain Stransky appears out of the station building and sends Steiner and Anselm to check out a railway tunnel down the line. Steiner and Anselm meet up with Corporal Kruger before returning to the station. (8mins approx)
When Steiner returns to German lines, the scene where he meets his new platoon is longer and includes introductions to new comrades Rothe, Dorfmann and Keppel.
An extended scene between Yvette and Steiner at her apartment.
Steiner is mocked by an old woman as he leaves Yvette's apartment.
The two orphaned children Steiner looks at, at the end turn up earlier and throw rocks at Steiner.
The final battle is extended, there is more footage of the American GIs attacking the town, the American tanks cause greater damage to the town. Steiner shoots GIs whilst trying to defend the townspeople.

Connections
Features Cross of Iron (1977)

User reviews39

Review

Featured review

Rotten tat

Shoddy, shoestring budgeted alleged sequel to Peckinpah's "Cross of Iron" notable solely for the troika of superb actors who don't seem to care.

Burton as the war loathing Sgt.Steiner is simply too old. Dead-eyed and sunken cheeked, he growls a German accent that slips more readily than a stricken panzer retreating in the Russian winter. Steiger has barely three scenes but exhibits his customary late period bipolarism, roaring from rage to serenity in seconds with little in between. Mitchum is made of teak, reacting to the death of his only pal, the jeep driver, as if he had dropped a grocery receipt.

Every aspect of this accidental comedy is anaemic and threadbare; the implausible plot, emaciated script, jagged cutting and even the celluloid seems to have been dipped in coffee. Perhaps the creme de la cack is the score which seems to feature an orchestra of two.