The Train may very well be his masterpiece. It is the little known but true story of how the Nazi's tried to steal the art treasures of Paris near the end of World War II. On the very eve of the Allies marching in, the Nazi's were transporting the works of Picasso, Degas and others out via train. Burt Lancaster plays the French railway official in charge of the yard from which the paintings will ship. Paul Scofield (A Man For All Seasons) plays the German Colonel, whose love of the paintings is driving his obsession to have them. French actress Jeanne Moreau plays a French hotel owner who helps Lancaster after he and his friends get in trouble trying to sabotage the Germans' plans.

This film is like a runaway train: once it leaves the station, there is no stopping it. There is one thrill after another as the French Resistance tries to stop the train from leaving France. If you love trains, there is more train minutia than you can shake a greasy wrench at. More importantly, if you like Burt Lancaster, this is one of his best performances. The remarkable thing about Burt is, not only is he one of the great film actors of all time - some say the best - but he also does his own stunts, and many of them are quite difficult. Paul Scofield is also one of the greats, and to see these two determined men going head to head is a real treat. There are many other wonderful roles filled by a top-notch international cast.

One of the best parts of the film is the beginning. After a brief discussion of the paintings between Scofield and a French curator, in which he reveals to her that he intends to transport the famous works to Berlin, the credits roll over the packing of the paintings by German soldiers. To see these famous works being handled by Nazi soldiers is almost surreal. The music is powerful and the credits themselves are outstanding. There are other powerful moments throughout, including the ending, in which Frankenheimer very obviously compares the value of the paintings with what it costs the French to keep them. If it weren't for the brutal realism, I would say that this was a very fun film. Instead, it's very sobering. But it is still extremely entertaining and interesting, and will have the viewer on the edge of his seat most of the time.

Other great train movies are Runaway Train (1986), Von Ryan's Express (1965), The Great Train Robbery (1979) and The Great Train Robbery (1903!!!).

Waitsel Smith, September 29, 2007

Text © 2007 Waitsel Smith. Image © 1964 MGM. All Rights Reserved.