| |  | DVD The Train |  | | | | | | | | | | Rating:  - I THOUGHT WE JUST PASSED THAT TOWN!!
It's 1944 and WWII is in its last days. The Nazis are trying to take anything they can out of the rich art treasures in France. There is a warehouse in Paris full of Van Goghs, Picassos, etc. A German Colonel loads them on to a train for Germany. The French Resistance learns of this and goes into action to sabotage the train and save the treasures. Paul Labiche (Lancaster), a French train engineer is not interested at first (he is counting on the Allies to show up at any moment and save Paris) but when he sees the patriotism and heroics of the Resistance fighters, he becomes a part of the resistance and uses his courage and skills to try and thwart the German Colonel. In the end it becomes a one on one match of wits and ingenuity between the two men-a microcosm of the good versus evil that was symbolic of the greater war. A lot of action but real action, not the computer generated stuff of today's films. Burt Lancaster does all his own stunts which are not insignificant. A terrific view of another slice of life during WWII. Did I mention that Burt Lancaster and I co-starred in AIRPORT. Actually........if you're really quick with your pause button you might be able to spot me walking across the airport lobby. www.lusreviews.blogspot.com
Rating:  - A Great Film, Nearly a Classic
An excellent story with a strong cast, outstanding direction, great cinematography and special effects, and suspense that builds, well, like a runaway train.There's no doubt this movie is well worth your time and your purchase.
It misses five stars for a few flaws -- Burt Lancaster looks as American as apple pie and he is supposed to be a Frenchman (but doesn't even try a French or even a European accent), his scenes with Jean Moreau convey her apparent dislike for him (per a Lancaster biography I own), and both of them are upstaged by a riveting performance by Paul Scofield.
I won't spoil the ending, but the ending is superb.At the end of the film, both Lancaster and Scofield stand face to face -- a "lump of flesh" who doesn't appreciate the artwork he has sacrificed so much to try to save, and a ruthless man who treasures the art for art's sake and especially for its value.Only one walks away -- who is it, and what happens to the art (and to the train)?Watch the DVD and you won't be disappointed!
Rating: - Great War and Train movie for Lancaster fans
The Train
A great, war movie for those who love Burt Lancaster's acting and trains. In short, the allies are about to liberate Paris from Nazi control, and great famous art paintings had been preserved in a museum by one Nazi general who loves great art, despite Hilter calling them decadent art to be destroyed. He arranges to take the paintings out of Paris and back to Germany for his own edification even though he convinces higher authorities the art will bring in much needed money for Germany's war effort.
Burt Lancaster and a few others are in the French underground although they are driving the trains under Nazi control. But, they maximize their efforts to thwart the movement of the train back to Germany with the precious art without damaging the art, and in ingenious ways. Lancaster just drives the Nazi general up a tree with his sabotage efforts to stop the train and save the art for France until the allies liberate France.
It is a war and a cat and mouse movie between Lancaster and the Nazis. Plus, great train action sequences accent the movie.
Rating: - The Best Railroad Movie Ever Made
Real steam locomotives, real train wrecks, and where else can you find an actor really casting a bearing?
Rating: - One of the greatest movies ever made
This is one of only very few movies I have seen over ten times.It never gets old. Better in black and white than color, like Casablanca.
My father worked on the railroad after WWII in an era when locomotives were rapidly being phased out.From his stories of the railway, I was primed to love this movie. Plus, I was stationed in Germany for three years with the Air Force.
Europe during the war, armored locomotives, plenty of "plastique" - plastic explosives, its all here!My favorite scenes include members of the French Underground hanging fake town signs on the water tanks and at depots while the train is still in France, making the Germans think the train is headed for Germany.
Burt Lancaster (Labiche)isn't at all for involving the French Resistance in stopping the train from leaving France at the beginning of the film.But at the end, nothing can stop him from stopping the Germans in their effort to heist the art of Picasso, Renoir, Degas, etc..... "The National Heritage"
Memorable lines....
"You once said that normal channels are a trap for officers who lacked initiative"
"At 10:00 all trains, track and switching will be bombed.Will the train be there or not?"
"White paint, on top of the first three cars.Can you do it?"
"Labiche?Yes I have seen Labiche, and General De Gaulle too.I keep them cool in the wine cellar"
Labiche: "You can't get through, the switch is closed!"Papa Bull: "Open it!"
The mind game between Labiche and Von Waldheim, crashing locomotives, the resistance, the bombing, strafing, and blowing up sections of track - I can see it another 10 times!
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