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An excellent story concerning the French Underground railway work force fight against Nazi occupation at the close of WW2. Director John Frankenheimer and his director of photography captured the realizm of the period in this B/W classic using intriguing camera angles and authentic French railroad equipment on location. Burt Lancaster's performance as the mastermind and leader of a small group of underground sabatoures is unsurpassed and exemplifies how life or death is decided in a matter of seconds. No small detail is overlooked and lends a powerful edge to this exciting tale of Good against Evil. The DVD version of this movie offers a commentary by the Director and other extra features, but whether you find it on DVD or VHS, it is a story that you will never forget and enjoy again and again. Railroad and train buffs will be delighted by the accuracy and attention to detail in the operation and timing of every steam valve and track turnout operated throughout the picture. A must have film!Read full review
Burt Lancaster plays the very physical role of Paul Labishe when he was 51 years old in this very entertaining WWII movie with the plot centering around the Germans trying to steal many famous paintings from the City of Paris as the City is about to fall to the Allies. The movie was made in 1964 with very little music--almost like a documentary. Labishe starts out as the railroad manager in the Paris station, and it appears that he is cooperating with the Germans as they try to smuggle the paintings out of France on a train. Through a series of blow-ups, train derailments, and finally sign mixups, the Germans become very frustrated and finally are fooled that the paintings have crossed the border. Jeanne Moreau plays Christine, a restaurant-motel owner, who assists Labishe at one point by giving him an alibi. This is the only love interest in the movie. The German Colonel Von Woldheim, who is obsessed with stealing the paintings is played by Paul Scofield, who later won the Oscar for A Man For All Seasons. It can be said that eventually Colonel almost went insane in this movie as his obsession failed. A fourth character of the movie is really all theb 1940 era trains. And a fifth character is the French resistance, who suffered so many casualties to keep their treasures from being purloined. If you like Nazi movies and/or old trains, you will love this movie. It was also very interesting watching a 50 year old Burt Lancaster do his own stunt work hopping on a moving train, quickly climbing down a ladder without using his legs, and forging metal into a train part. He is an amazing actor!Read full review
In "The Train", as in the "Day of the Jackal", Frankenheimer has way of bringing out the best of the cast. This is Lancaster's best roll ever - a sui generis tour de force. "The Train" takes you back to the horror of WW2 like few movies do. It's filmed in B&W as the hue of the amoral condition of the barbaric NAZI regime. It's a film you are going to want to watch more than once, for sure. In truth, it draws you into it as a witness rather than a mere observer, and when it's over, you feel like you know each character like you were there. .
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
This movie highlights the sacrifices that the French people made to help the Allies liberate their country. All over France there are small plaques to the memory of murdered Resistance fighters...The German Occupation was a time of daily humiliations but also of bravery where small bands risked their lives to uphold the principals of a free and liberty loving French..This mixed American/French production is an excellent portrait of an incident. Burt Lancaster is fantastic...The black and white photography and scale are perfect. The reality of what Germany would have imposed upon the world if they had succeeded in their conquest is clear. Not every German was a Nazi and not every Frenchman was a patriot. But the choice is as clear as the the Black and White of the film...John Frankenheimer was a great movie maker...Try Ronin for a similar tight and fast moving example of his work...Read full review
It's 1944, the Allies are advancing in France, Paul Scofield is a German Colonel who plans to raid an art museum and ship all its contents to Germany, and Burt Lancaster is a French railway manager and secret member of the Underground who is doing whatever it takes to stop the train that is designated to take the museum's contents to Germany. it takes a bit of convincing to get him to work to stop this train, as he values the lives of his people more than the museum's artwork, but he's then convinced that the artwork is a part of French cultural heritage and must be saved at any cost. It's an unusual movie in that any male/female romance is very minor, primarily very brief scenes between Lancaster and Jeanne Moreau (as an innkeeper) and the action is paramount. It was made in 1964 and the old steam engines and rolling stock here are still all marked SNCF ("Societe' Nationale Chemins de Fer" which is, translated liberally, "French National Railway Commission) and I can only believe that many of these were still in use at that time. Either that, or they were taken from the scrapyard just for the movie. Lancaster is in top form here as is Scofield, who is so evil and vicious you want to hiss when he's on the screen. The supporting cast, most of whom are French and not Hollywood types, do an excellent job at helping foil the robbery of the artwork. There is a constant tension in this movie as the citizens of France give their utmost efforts and, sometimes their lives. to save their national heritage of artwork. In fact, the philosophical question this movie raises might be, "How many lives is this artwork worth?" If you're looking for a movie with any romance or humor, this is not the one for you; but, if you like a WW II movie with almost constant action and ordinary, everyday people as heroes, this will not disappoint. I have seen this many times and I had to have it for my personal collection. 5 star movie.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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