Blu Ray review: The Train (1964)

Kino-Lorber has released what many consider director John Frankenheimer’s masterpiece, “The Train” (1964). The film was inspired by Rose Valland’s book Le front de l'art, about the looting of art from museums and collections by Germans, that had been placed in storage. The film, written by Franklin Coen, Frank Davis, and Walter Bernstein, is about a German colonel (Paul Scofield) attempting to transport the artwork to Germany by train, and the French resistance member (Burt Lancaster) who tries to stop him.

The film was originally to be directed by Arthur Penn, who worked on the projects for only a few days before Burt Lancaster’s considerable clout got him fired and replaced with John Frankenheimer. Lancaster was just coming off the flop film The Leopard and wanted The Train to be an accessible action drama, while Penn approached the material as more of an intimate drama. The script was rewritten, the budget doubled, and the result is an exciting film filled with action and train wrecks along with the plot composition and character development.

Frankenheimer presented the film very artfully, taking advantage of the widescreen framing to allow explosions in the background while the train moves slowly in the foreground. Quick edits to a succession of explosions, some long tracking shots, wide angle lenses, and deep focus cinematography cause this action drama to also be a very artful approach.

Even though he turned 50 during production, Burt Lancaster performed his own stunts in the film. But it wasn’t the movie that would cause injury. Playing golf during an off-day, Lancaster aggravated an old knee injury, so Frankenheimer created a scene where Burt’s character is shot in the leg, allowing his character a reason to limp during the movie. Notably, Lancaster also took time off filming to join the March on Washington.

The Train was made during the last days of black and white cinema, and the fact that Frankenheimer shot in black and white truly enhances the material. The last shot of Lancaster walking away after dialog between him and Scofiled, and a dazzling comparison-contrast edit between dead hostages and crates filled with art masterpieces, is one of the truly great moments in all of 1960s cinema. The composition of Lancaster and the train wreckage in the film's last shot is especially impressive.

A genuinely exciting film, with fine performances by Lancaster, Scofield, and Jeanne Moreau, Kino Lorber’s Blu Ray also offers several extras, including commentary by director John Frankenheimer. Another commentary features filmmaker/historian Steve Mitchell and author Steven Jay Rubin who wrote Combat Films: American Realism. They give us a great deal of insight that helps one appreciate the movie at an even stronger level.

The Train is available at this link: Frankenheimer/Train