The Train
Directed by John Frankenheimer
Written by Franklin Coehn and Frank Davis from a novel by Rose Valland1964/France/Italy/USA
Les Films Ariane/Les Productions Artistes Associes/Dear Film Produzione
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Didont: Paul, uh, have you ever seen any of those paintings on that train? I haven’t. You know, when it’s over, I think maybe we should take a look, hmm?[/box]
An action-packed winner for when you are in the mood for suspense and plenty of explosions.
During the German occupation of Paris, Impressionist and modernist French masterpieces have been well-cared for under the watchful eye of Col. Franz von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) despite the fact that many of them are considered to be “degenerate art” by the Nazis. It is now days from the projected Allied liberation and von Waldheim prepares the paintings for shipment to Germany. He is as interested in their monetary value as in their preservation.
Von Waldheim orders a special train dedicated to the effort although the German fighting forces can ill afford to spare one. Members of the the French Resistance are ordered to prevent the train from reaching Germany while at the same time protecting the paintings. The man in charge, Paul Labiche (Burt Lancaster), is not convinced that the cargo warrants its cost in human lives.
We follow the train’s progress during many nerve-wracking encounters. With Jeanne Moreau as an innkeeper who reluctantly shelters Labiche and Michel Simon as a crusty old locomotive engineer.
The film is dialogue-free during long sequences giving the viewer the opportunity to focus on the awesome work with real trains and Burt Lancaster’s stuntwork. It also poses interesting questions about the value of artwork vis-a-vis the many lives lost in protecting it. Recommended.
The Train was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kuyme-U9-es
