Viewed: 11 November 2002
Directed by: John Frankenheimer
Listed in: Movies, Netflix

Yet another great John Frankenheimer. Great art, combined with Trains and or course World War II, how could I not like it? A great amount of precision throughout the film. The Ingenuity of the French Resistance on the railroad, playing every card they’ve got to stop the train. I’ve read Frankenheimer’s greatest concern is realism. Listening to the director’s commentary, most of the movie is real. They really blew up that yard, those boxcars and trains were blown by dynamite, trains in WWII were sabotaged by the resistance with francs. The cinematography is excellent. It respects the trains and planes. We see the view from the Spitfire as it strafes. The camera’s angle allows for the bombers coming in over the train. The shots on and around the train fully exploits the smooth motion of track. Beautiful scenes of the railroad and the locomotives, the switch clicking just in time, the engine thundering past, steam billowing out. Excellently made if only it was filmed in French and German, instead of English. I wonder how many locomotives they went through in this movie. Wonderful film, I’m toying with the idea of buying it.