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Breakthrough | |
---|---|
Directed by | Andrew V. McLaglen |
Written by | Peter Berneis / Tony Williamson |
Produced by | Wolf C. Hartwig Herbert Lukowski |
Starring | Richard Burton Robert Mitchum Rod Steiger Michael Parks Curd Jurgens Helmut Griem Klaus Löwitsch |
Music by | Peter Thomas |
Production companies | Palladium Film Rapid Film |
Distributed by | Constantin Film Maverick Pictures International (US) |
Release date |
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Running time | 111 minutes (German version) 115 minutes (English version) |
Country | West Germany |
Language | German / English |
Breakthrough, also released as Steiner - Das Eiserne Kreuz, 2 and Sergeant Steiner [1] is a 1979 war film set on the Western Front, specifically the Normandy coastline. [2] The picture is a sequel to Sam Peckinpah's Cross of Iron , and includes several characters from that film.
The film stars several big names including Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum and Rod Steiger. Burton (Sergeant Steiner) and Helmut Griem (Major Stransky) assume the roles played by James Coburn and Maximilian Schell respectively in the original film. The supporting cast features Michael Parks and Curd Jürgens. This also marks the film debut of Christoph Waltz, playing an uncredited role. Klaus Löwitsch is the only actor from Cross of Iron to reprise his role.
Starting in late May 1944, during the German retreat on the Eastern Front, Captain Stransky (Helmut Griem) orders Sergeant Steiner (Richard Burton) 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 (Curd Jürgens) orders Steiner to cross into nearby enemy territory and confer with American Colonel Rogers (Robert Mitchum) and General Webster (Rod Steiger), informing him that the High Command of the German Army (Wehrmacht) 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.
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 Richard Burton replaced Coburn as Sgt Steiner. The film was panned by critics, who identified a confusing plot, poor dialogue, an aged cast and undistinguished acting. [3]
Rodney Stephen Steiger was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Ranked as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars", he is closely associated with the art of method acting, embodying the characters he played, which at times led to clashes with directors and co-stars. He starred as Marlon Brando's mobster brother Charley in On the Waterfront (1954), the title character Sol Nazerman in The Pawnbroker (1964) which won him the Silver Bear for Best Actor, and as police chief Bill Gillespie opposite Sidney Poitier in the film In the Heat of the Night (1967) which won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.
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