This is one of my Fav WW2 Homage to the bravery and ingenuity of the French Resistance. Burt Lancaster stars as a French railwayman trying to prevent Nazi officer Paul Scofield from absconding with a train-load of art masterpieces The Train is very precisely located in place and time with an opening note: "Paris, August 2 1944, the 1511th day of German occupation." The Allies are bearing down on the French capital. In a gesture that is both that of an art lover and an avaricious Nazi determined to make a considerable donation to the Fatherland
It's a classic movie which I have on video and have watched many times. It was made just as the French railways were converting from steam to diesel/electric - so no CGI monkeying about, those are real trains involved in the many action sequences.....
I admit, I did not care too much for it the first time I saw it but, every time I see it, I like It more and more. My favorite scene in the movie is when the train is coming under strafing attack from an allied fighter (forgive me Martin for not knowing the exact type of fighter ;-)) I also like the scene in the tunnel after they stop-and that Frenchman pushes the handle-letting the trains whistle - make its noise althe while showing his extreme anger at almost being killed; by gritting his teeth. Anyway, this film is now one of my all-time most favorites.
That is indeed a great scene ; the aircraft is a Spitfire..... Also of note is that the marshalling yard bombing scene ( which lasts for 50 seconds ) took six weeks to prepare. It was an actual marshalling yard which was due for demolition ; the film crew used 3,000 lbs of TNT and 2,000 gallons of gasolene to do the job.....
Heh heh, Martin, I was using this post just to see if you were REALLY reading my posts? ;-)) Seriously, I liked that bombing scene as well. All this talk about the movie is making me want to watch it again reeeeeel soon.
And yesterday evening I did just that. It's a movie which seems to improve with repeated viewings - no false heroics or phoney scenes in this one ; the train scenes are brilliant and the acting is high-quality ( Wolfgang Preiss especially good....)
I think this is a real unsung classic. The cast is superb, with the French actors in the supporting roles bringing a real authenticity to the movie. Burt Lancaster is fantastic in the physical scenes, such as the one when he is injured escaping from the runaway train. And, as stated above, the directors handling of the real locomotives on location is just brilliant. It's a film to watch again and again.
I THINK the Director was, John Frankenheimer??? If not? Frankenheimer was an excellent Director. That train marschalling yard bombing scenes were so almost exact-like some photos of a bombed out French Train yard that I almost got earlier this year and regret not getting. The Director did an excellent job on that movie. Also, he purposely chose to film it on glorious black and white-which was a very wise decision IMO.
Yesk, it was Frankenheimer. According to a quote on IMDB he said: "I wanted all the realism possible. There are no tricks in this film. When trains crash together, they are real trains. There is no substitute for that kind of reality."
Thanks for the confirm on Frankenheimer. Also, that is true about real trains being used for the collision scenery. Also, Burt Lancaster did all of his own stunts-such as that scene where the yard is under attack and he slides down the ladder and runs after that Frenchmans train and the Frenchman pushes him off his train.
I was always a Burt Lancaster fan from way back. So when the film was first released in 1964, I skipped class at UT to go see it. I enjoyed it then and now very much. Thanks for all the background Martin and Carl!
Cheers Texson ;-)) quite welcome. Burt Lancaster was a favorite and also a household name in our house. Unrelated to: The Train, check him out in Vera Cruz-which also has Gary Cooper, Cesar Romero, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson and Denise Darcel. In Vera Cruz, he did all of his own stunts and in that scene where they were ambushed in the town as their wagons and Stagecoach were travelling through it, Lancaster was almost badly hurt during those scenes where he was piled on by several Mexican Revolutionaries and also while dodginig the Lancers Horses running past him. Shortly before Gary Cooper shoots him at the end of the movie, you get a great representation of his Athleticism-when he makes his way using Acrobatics-to get up to the 2nd storey of the building where Denise Darcel was in the window of. I'd sure have loved to have watched him do his act when he was working for some Circus.
Holy Cow Richard, only a few months ago? ;-D Do you think some of us need to start a Richards DvD Movie Buying Collection Fund? If so? i'll gladly toss in the first $20.00 ;-D I lost count after I bought my 300th DvD-in which I have no clue when that happened? And hopefully before the end of the year, ill have at least 18 more Warner Gangster Classics-meaning Vols 1,2 & 4-I already have Vol 3-because of a Humphrey Bogart classic I couldn't wait to finally see again ;-))
What are you going to do when the current DVD System is replaced by one that wont play the old stuff? Want to hear about my VHS Collection...................
Yes please...we're still in recession here so every dollar will help boost my WW2 film collection. And make me happy...Sounds like a damn good idea there Carl...WOOHOO.
Heh he, you got it Mate. Send me an address and ill send you any extra copies I have. I recently found four but gave them to a neighbors wife-who loves War Movies ;-)) Recession is bad here too, but im greatful to still be able to buy a few DvDs a month. Just Friday or Saturday? I finally placed my order for both seasons of Zorro. These im hoping will be here within a week ;-)) Im looking forward to watching Don Diego de la Vega (Guy Williams as Zorro/de la Vega) make the Mexican Army (in California) look like complete idiots ;-))
