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Summary

As the Allied forces approach Paris in August 1944, German Colonel Von Waldheim is desperate to take all of France's greatest paintings to Germany. He manages to secure a train to transport the valuable art works even as the chaos of retreat descends upon them. The French resistance however wants to stop them from stealing their national treasures but have received orders from London that they are not to be destroyed. The station master, Labiche, is tasked with scheduling the train and making it all happen smoothly but he is also part of a dwindling group of resistance fighters tasked with preventing the theft. He and others stage an elaborate ruse to keep the train from ever leaving French territory.

Cast

Burt Lancaster

Paul Labiche

Paul Scofield

von Waldheim

Jeanne Moreau

Christine

Suzanne Flon

Mademoiselle Villard

Michel Simon

Papa Boul

Wolfgang Preiss

Maj. Herren

Albert Rémy

Didont

Charles Millot

Pesquet

Richard Münch

General von Libitz

Jean-Pierre Zola

Octave

Jacques Marin

Jacques

Paul Bonifas

Spinet

Jean Bouchaud

Schmidt

Donald O'Brien

Schwartz

Arthur Brauss

Pilzer

Jean-Claude Bercq

Major

Howard Vernon

Dietrich

Louis Falavigna

Railroad Worker

Richard Bailey

Grote

Christian Fuin

Robert

Helmo Kindermann

Ordnance Officer

Roger Lumont

Engineer Officer

Gérard Buhr

Corporal

Christian Rémy

Tauber

Crew

Director

John Frankenheimer

Novel

Rose Valland

Screenplay

Walter Bernstein

Screenplay

Franklin Coen

Screenplay

Frank Davis

Screenplay

Albert Husson

Screenplay

Nedrick Young

Reviews

Wuchak

August 8, 2020

7

**_Burt Lancaster as a French Resistance fighter trying to stop a German train with stolen art_**

Paris is on the verge of liberation from Nazi occupation in 1944, so a German colonel (Paul Scofield) loads a train with a priceless cargo of French paintings to take to Germany, which Resistance fighters led by engineer Labiche (Burt Lancaster) are intent on stopping. Jeanne Moreau is on hand as a hotel owner.

“The Train” (1964) is a B&W war picture with the unconventional tone of contemporaneous WW2 films “The Young Lions” (1958), “36 Hours” (1964) and “Morituri” (1965). The story starts slow, but becomes increasingly compelling with lots of non-CGI carnage involving tracks and trains. The last act is creative and leaves you with the question: How many lives is art worth? Lovers of steam locomotives should eat this up.

The film runs 2 hours, 12 minutes and was shot in France.

GRADE: B