The Train (1964)
Film details
War · Thriller · John Frankenheimer · 2h 13min
Synopsis
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.
Verdict
Classic war suspense that celebrates heroism against Nazi tyranny.
In-depth analysis
This film by John Frankenheimer is a model of the classic war thriller: tense narrative, physical direction, and a complete absence of cynicism. The plot unfolds as a race against time where every decision of the protagonist (a French railwayman who sabotages the Nazi theft) exposes the contrast between totalitarian barbarity and the dignity of those who resist. The screenplay does not need to underscore the moral lesson — the action speaks for itself. The violence is characteristic of the genre: shootouts, explosions, railway chases filmed with documentary rigor. There is no sadism or gore; Nazi brutality is shown without glorifying it. For parents with adolescent children, it is a valuable opportunity: a story of heroism without postmodern irony, where personal sacrifice for the common good carries real weight. The pace is intense but the proposition is clear: there are causes for which it is worth risking everything. Occasional strong language, typical of period military contexts. A work that trusts in the intelligence of the viewer and that truth does not need special effects to prevail.