Editing Sam Peckinpah (section)

===''Cross of Iron''===
{{main|Cross of Iron}}
Still renowned in 1975, Peckinpah was offered the opportunity to direct the eventual blockbusters ''[[King Kong (1976 film)|King Kong]]'' (1976) and ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'' (1978).{{sfn|Weddle|p=504}} He turned down both offers and chose instead the bleak and vivid [[World War II]] drama ''[[Cross of Iron]]'' (1977). The screenplay was based on a novel about a platoon of [[Wehrmacht|German soldiers]] in 1943 on the verge of utter collapse on the [[Taman Peninsula]] on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]. The German production was filmed in [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]]. Working with James Hamilton and Walter Kelley, Peckinpah rewrote the screenplay and screened numerous [[Nazi propaganda|Nazi documentaries]] in preparation. Almost immediately, Peckinpah realized he was working on a low-budget production, as he had to spend $90,000 of his own money to hire experienced crew members. While not suffering from the cocaine abuse which marked ''The Killer Elite'', Peckinpah continued to drink heavily, causing his direction to become confused and erratic. The production abruptly ran out of funds, and Peckinpah was forced to completely improvise the concluding sequence, filming the scene in one day. Co-starring [[James Mason]], [[Maximilian Schell]], [[David Warner (actor)|David Warner]] and [[Senta Berger]], ''Cross of Iron'' was noted for its opening montage utilizing documentary footage as well as the visceral impact of the unusually intense battle sequences. The film was a huge box office success in Europe, inspiring the sequel ''[[Breakthrough (1979 film)|Breakthrough]]'' starring [[Richard Burton]].{{sfn|Breakthrough|IMDB}} ''Cross of Iron'' was reportedly a favorite of [[Orson Welles]], who said that after ''[[All Quiet on the Western Front (1930 film)|All Quiet on the Western Front]]'' it was the finest anti-war film he had ever seen.{{sfn|Simmons|p=236}} The film performed poorly in the U.S., ultimately eclipsed by ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', though today it is highly regarded and considered the last instance of Peckinpah's once-great talent.{{sfn|Weddle|pp=504–513}}{{sfn|Simmons|pp=225–237}}