So, now it is 2016, 7 years after the release of the last movie Roy Scheider ever made. People in Europe in 2009 got to see it. It has never been played on television, and it has never gone to DVD or any other media. WHY? I am appalled, and angry that this movie has not gained any recognition from any film studio. And as I have not seen this movie, I will probably never be able to enjoy the last film of a great actor. There used to be a link to the official website where you could actually find out the status of the film and DVD sale. But even that has gone away. What do you have to do to make sure this movie doesn't die somewhere in a close vault??? Mad as hell.
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don-damon16 July 2016
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There are great movies and there are others which can only leave you at the edge of your sit throughout the show. Iron cross is the latter. It captures your attention and at the end throws a big curve ball! Not to mention the captivating performance by the late Oscar nominated Roy Scheider. He plays a role that leaves you at the edge of your sit and thirsty for more. The soundtrack of the movie is phenomenal as well! Overall, it is a must see thriller that is full of substance and surprises! The story line is as follows: Joseph, a retired New York police officer, played by the late Roy Scheider, travels to Nuremberg to visit his son Ronnie years after turning his back on him for rejecting a promising career in the NYPD and marrying a local artist, Anna. No sooner does Joseph attempt to heal the rift with Ronnie, when he swears that living in the apartment above, under the false name of Shrager, is the now aging SS Commander who murdered his entire family in a Polish forest during WW2.
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kevinpadraic22 September 2010It's difficult to be too critical of the movie because the production coincided with not only the death of the great Roy Schieder, but also the director's father (a holocaust survivor) upon which Schieder's character is based...but:
This is a simply poor piece of filmaking that is close to risible due to the decision to use the holocaust as a background to make a quasi-action pic. Based on a Q&A with the director and his son (who co-stars), it seems that the holocaust is simply another way for Newton to get his directing kicks: as he said, a project he thought up while waiting to direct a "divorce thriller." Rather than a serious investigation of what his father's experience meant, Newton takes it as reason to portray gratuitous violence and hone his camera skills. A set-up that could lead to a veritable graduate seminar of fascinating themes and conflicts is dispensed with in order to follow a ridiculous whodunit.
Poor editing, acting (with the exception of Schieder and, surprisingly, Newton's son) and an absurd plot are hallmarks of many films, but few manage to be offensive, cloying, hilariously melodramatic, painstakingly dull, vain, and just shootstormingly bad. And this is just in a twenty minute section in the middle of the movie. There's actually some kind of anti-brilliance on display here because things start out fairly okay, like a cheesy made-for-TV movie, but develop into "holy cow - am I really watching this?" mode about halfway through.
Sadly, the ineptitude isn't easily available for a Room-like mockery because of Schieder's passing, but there are some classic moments where it would be fun to imagine a packed theater laughing at all of this. Nazis rounding up houses full of people speaking with British accents, the worst storytelling neighbor in cinema history, a fall-out-of-your-seat lesson in compassion through an analogy with a bee, and a visual style that seems like Edgar Wright without the wink would make for some brilliant midnight watching. If you get a chance, find the DVD and skip to the barn scene, but otherwise ignore the obvious planted reviews above. -
harryfish99927 August 2022I was lucky enough to receive an early screen for Beautiful Blue Eyes and I was hugely impressed with it. The portrayal of Joesph and the fallout from his traumatic past was conveyed with tremendous sincerely and emotional honesty.
I thought Roy Scheider was mesmerising, the film providing a harrowing swan song for the late great actor. I liked the intercutting of past and present and thought the presentation of Joseph's trauma was very effective. The ending was particularly haunting and will leave viewers with much to think upon long after the film has ended.
Given the horrific backdrop of the Holocaust and the sensitivity it requires, I thought the film handled the subject matter respectfully and portrayed the scars created in the aftermath poignantly. I would highly recommend watching this. -
e-10860-4739317 August 2022It's clear the director put heart and soul into this. I just wish more movies had this dynamic level of storytelling. It's a great story. Scheider is great. His young co-star Alexander Newton is does a fine job too.
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rdawsonfilm8 October 2010"Iron Cross" features the late actor Roy Scheider in his last performance. Once again, Scheider's portrayal of his character is captivating and moving. This film is fast paced and will keep you guessing about where the story is taking the audience. The locations that are utilized in the movie make a visual impact upon viewers. Helmut Berger is wonderful in his role as the former officer who is hiding his true identity. The scenes between Scheider and Burger are intense. This is a fine film to end the career of an esteemed actor like Scheider. The soundtrack is outstanding and compliments the plot well. Finally "Iron Cross" imparts a message that is critical to future societies throughout the world. It is important that the memory of this dark time in history is kept in the forefront.
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nickypage16 August 2022A wonderfully written, emotive, powerful,thought provoking film. Tense and unpredictable. It takes you to some unexpected places and earns a fitting place in its genre. It left me contemplative and aware of some aspects of the consequences of war that I wouldn't always be quick to respond too.
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FilmRap25 February 2010Screen writer and director Joshua Newton said that his father, a holocaust survivor who lost most of his family at the hands of the Nazis, had a great deal of bottled up anger for most his life. His son often fantasized what his father would do if by some coincidence he ever encountered any of the murderers of his family. He also wondered what he himself would do if his father asked him to help him revenge their deaths in such a situation. Newton then recognized that these thoughts could be the nucleus of just the kind of movie he wanted to create which would help to fill in the lack of education that the current generation has about the holocaust. He was able to convince Roy Scheider to star in what would be Mr. Scheider's his last film and he makes his final bow with very fine performance. In addition the director has cast his own teenage son to play the younger version of the Scheider character. The setting starts off in modern day Germany as an older survivor is visiting his son who is now living in Germany. The movie is filled with powerful and poignant flashbacks to his youthful journey of encountering the Nazis, surviving them and then returns to his modern day quest for revenge. The film has suspense, drama and the powerful emotion that this subject matter usually brings forth. Newton's use of music and sound provides explanation points at every turn. The edits and the merges are at times unexpected and a few scenes are perhaps a little too drawn out. However the characters, their dilemma's and actions become quite clear and unforgettable. This movie will be released in May and it was our first preview of 2010, If it is indicative of the quality of films that we will see this year, we can look forward to a great year of movies.
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loveablemelissat21 August 2022A wonderfully written, emotive, powerful,thought provoking film.
Dynamic storyline storytelling just captivating all the way through .
Scheider gave a stunning performance. -
stockleyub19 August 2022The cinema photography was excellent.
Not only is it emotional, but this film builds to a quite intense and thrilling climax with a good twist at the end.
We give it a firm 8." -
pennyfoster-359605 September 2022BEAUTIFUL BLUE EYES - review
You'd be forgiven for expecting a revenge thriller about the Holocaust to have been a fully exhausted, predictable and an over-exposed subject by now. However, Beautiful Blue Eyes, directed by Joshua Newton, breaks the mold.
It is the last ever film of Roy Scheider, in which he plays a retired NYPD cop who visits his estranged son, living in Germany. The story explores the lack of trust between father and son, at first somewhat tensely and the viewer remains just the observer. But with flashbacks to the horror of Nazi-occupied Poland, we are soon fully immersed in the family's tragic history, the unreasonableness of Jew hatred and the futility of war. The main character, Joseph witnesses such cruelty and injustice that no wonder he seeks revenge when he suspects he has found the perpetrator of that injustice, years later. Do not expect the predictable. There is a twist to keep you guessing.
The character of Joseph, played by Roy Scheider, is loosely based on Joshua Newton's father, Bruno Newton. Bruno died during the filming of the movie from the same disease that took Roy Scheider's life nine months later. Originally intended for released in 2009, this new edit of the film, titled Beautiful Blue Eyes, has been made for theatrical release in 2022. -
teresapyskaty12 September 2022From start to finish, the film's focus is based on a father visiting his son from the US to Germany where Roy's character must revisit painful memories of the Holocaust and his family when he was a young boy , The son resides with his wife and young son in Germany and begins to think his father has mistaken his sons neighbor for a sinister man from Roy's character's past. . A series of flash backs creates a mystery with the intensity only Roy Scheider could bring. The flashback and forward sequence are easy to follow and are emotional subjects handled gently and brilliantly by the writer and director. At the theater I watched the film. You could hear the crowd take breaths of shock out loud as the series of coincidences intensifies The ending will stay with you for days afterwards. 10 out of 10 for me. Must see, especially for true cinema fans. So glad technology finally caught up to the films need to repair one very specific scene. The backstory about the making of this film and the change of its original name from Iron Cross to Beautiful Blue Eyes is an incredible story in itself.
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matza22 December 2022Roy Schneider's final performance, released to theaters over a decade after his death, is one of his best, and reminds us what a talent we lost. The movie is a terrific psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat to the end.
It's a crime that so many antisemites and Holocaust deniers have review bombed the film and overloaded it with 1-star reviews. Don't let that deceptive number keep you from experiencing an intense and powerful piece of filmmaking, and a remarkable turn by Scheider. That alone is worth the price of admission, but there is plenty more to keep you there.
In short, this is one of those indie movies that you have to track down and see. -
huntsafe6 February 2023My wife and I had heard of Joshua Newton's film being developed many years ago, and we were saddened by Roy Scheider's untimely death. With new technology, the film was able to be finished.
We were not disappointed. Beautiful Blue Eyes is constantly moving, always moving forward type of movie. The historical uniforms, trucks and equipment look very authentic.
So many people associate the Holocaust with Auschwitz alone, yet mass shootings were also a large part along eastern Europe. This movie illustrates another side of the Holocaust.
We strongly encourage everyone to watch this gripping film. -
nickycondry-0162313 June 2021When iron cross 2009 will be release. Roy Scheider.