The Train Blu-ray Review

The Train Blu-ray Review

Review: The most shocking thing about watching the The Train was not only how little I knew about it beforehand, but how much it has inspired over the last 50 years. From the one-man army set-up of Die Hard to the claustrophobia of The Raid; from the ensemble cast of The Italian Job to the daring heist of Ocean's Eleven, the entire recent history of the action genre seems directly drawn from John Frankenheimer's exquisite war movie. Whilst its later impact arguably makes it greater than the sum of its parts, this is still a brilliant war movie that simply demands to be seen.

France, 1944. Art lover and fanatical Nazi Colonel Franz Von Waldheim (Scorpio's Paul Scofield) has plundered a Paris museum for its masterpieces, including works by Van Gogh, Picasso and Degas. His intention is to have them transported by rail to Berlin, but one man stands in his way. Aware that the Allied forces are fast approaching the French capital, Resistance fighter Paul Labiche (Burt Lancaster, star of one of my favourite films: Local Hero) need only stall the train for a few more days, but he’ll have to use all of his wits and skills to do so. The plot essentially exists to generate pulse-pounding action scenes, such as a palm-sweating train painting sequence (way more exciting than that description) and a brilliant Wages of Fear-style derailment (just watch the movie, okay?). The genius of setting a film almost exclusively aboard a vehicle is that the film, just like the characters, is always moving. Whilst this unfortuantely leaves little room for character developement or intricate dialogue, Frankenheimer's leads manage to engage on presence alone.

Scofield, who I was unaware of until The Train, is magnetic as the brutal leader, whose tyranny is matched only with his manipulatve nature which sometimes (perhaps unintentionally) has you siding with his quest for artistic sanctimony. Lancaster, although as expressive as a chair at times, is well-suited to the action hero mould. As with Die Hard's John McClane, Labiche is not a superhero; he spends almost half of the film with a bullet lodged in his leg! This allows for a more relatable and gritty action movie, populated by real (if somewhat exaggerated) people with selfish agendas of their own. The supporting cast adds a wealth of charm and character to the film  in an ensemble comparable to The Great Escape sprawling role call. Albert Remy and Charles Millot are excellent as Labiche's partners in morally acceptable (probably) crime. The bond the trio form during their derring do (apparently this is something people say?). Jeanne Moreau is again fantastic in a small, yet pivotal, role as the kind-hearted innkeeper with a habit of attracting Resistance fighters suffering from bullet wounds. My personal favourite has to be Michel Simon as the elderly engineer with his own scheme to halt the locomotive. His appearance is a short one, whilst simulataneously one of the film's strongest and most poignant. 

Frankenheimer, whose previous work includes The Manchurian Candidate and and French Connection II, here reveals himself to be a master of action filmmaking. Despite essentially being a director-for-hire, Frankerheimer runs the show with a hypnotic blend of long, unbroken takes and tough, Clouzot-esque editing techniques to create a disorienting and off-putting atmosphere, expertly mirroring his protagonist's increasingly desperate psyche. The director's stunning grasp of the use of movement and composition matches the all-time greats of the genre; George Miller, James Cameron and John McTiernan being easy comparisons, with grindhouse favourite Jack Hill a more immediate competitor

Whilst the momentary pacing issue (an oxymoron, surely), along with a purposefully ambiguous ending, prevent this from being a full-on masterpiece, what can't be denied as that The Train is easily one of the best action movies of the 20th century and a rollicking good time all-round. A must-see for action nuts (whilst equally essential for everyone else), this is one re-release you do not want to miss

Extras: Along with a new 1080p restoration of the film, this Arrow Films release also includes a commentary by Frankenheimer, interviews with the director and Simon, a news report on the making of the film, footage from the premiere, a trailer and abooklet with new writing on the film’s production and subsequent impact

Score: 4.5/5

Five-Word Verdict: Better than Die Hard. Sorry.

The Train will be released on Blu-ray on 11th May