The Train (DVD 2003)

The story meets many exciting complications and climaxes but the real catch is the strong performances from the two leads (Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield) who fight each other in a battle of wills we'll rarely see again. Their antagonistic missions are the key element in a film full of great moments.

The black and white cinematography by Jean Tournier is great and the DVD do it justice. Keep in mind that this is a film by John Frankenheimmer - the great director who brought us movies like "The Manchurian Candidate", "Birdman of Alcatraz", and "The French Connection".

The DVD also has a great commentary by the director himself and an alternate "music-only" audio track for the Maurice Jarre's music soundtrack. This is a true great film. The only minus is the lack of a new dolby 5.1 sound mix - in a film like this, it would sure be a great thing! Anyway, the Dolby original Mono is solid enough.Thanks for reading

the movie is well crafted and staged ,it is a fictional account and it raises some intersting questions about viability of art and value of human life.

the german colonel wants a trainload of stolen modern french art transported to berlin as the allies advance to paris ,he chooses only french painters like cezanne,renoir,picasso,lautrec,manet,van gogh ,matisse ,dufy ,braque and others for reasons known to himself alone ,his excuse to authorities is it is worth billions ,but he is secretly an art lover who worships these as a connoisseur.

london gives french resistaance orders to save the train and stop the art installment from being taken to germany .

the fact that most art stolen or destroyed in WW2 was from germany itself is not relevant here,so the plot shows holes right at start and then becomes a one man superhero chase as burt lancaster as the french rail man turned superhero stops the third reich from staging this offence,

the argument that germany was obviously defeated and could have done little with looted art or why had they not done it earlier is of np consequence here ,as what we have is an atmospheric thriller with french heroics and patriotism where french art symbolising french vision of life and national heritage has to be saved .

it is at times a ridiculous premise but continuously entertaining and the action is great on the trains and off the trains as well .paul scoffield is great as the ambiguous german art lover .worth seeing for the action and acting .