The Train cover art

The Train Details

1964 Certificate PG
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 1065 members

The duo of director John Frankenheimer and actor Burt Lancaster again join forces with the latter starring as French railway inspector Labiche. With Allied forces closing in on occupied Paris, Herman Goering orders Col. Franz von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) to move the priceless art from the Jeu de Paume Museum to Germany by train... Read more

Starring Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau, Michel Simon
Director John Frankenheimer
Genres Action/Adventure, Drama

Sign up The Train DVD

Buy From: £6.93

loading loading...

The Train cover art

The Train

The duo of director John Frankenheimer and actor Burt Lancaster again join forces with the latter starring as French railway inspector Labiche. With Allied forces closing in on occupied Paris, Herman Goering orders Col. Franz von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) to move the priceless art from the Jeu de Paume Museum to Germany by train. The museum's curator, Mme. Villard (Suzanne Flon) tries to cajole Labiche into stopping the art train, but he's far more concerned with blowing up a German armaments train. Meanwhile, Papa Boule (Michel Simon), an aged railwayman, uses the distraction of the Allied bombing of a nearby munitions train to burn out the engines of the train carrying the art, and is killed by the Nazis for his efforts. Hotelkeeper Christine (Jeanne Moreau), has managed to persuade Labiche of the importance of the art, and when the livid Waldheim orders him to drive the treasure-bearing train, he's formulated a plan to foil the Nazi theft. He fabricates a series of interlocking ruses which lead the Germans to believe that the train has crossed into Germany, when, in reality, it's simply going in circles around Paris. Lancaster leads an exceptional cast in this engrossing film, based on a true story. Michel Simon is especially memorable, as is the gritty, minimally-lit black and white photography of Jean Tournier.

Starring Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau, Michel Simon, Wolfgang Preiss, Jacques Marin, Albert Remy, Richard Munch
Director John Frankenheimer
Studio MGM ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 7 mins
Certificate Certificate PG
Genres Action/Adventure, Drama
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 05 May 2003
Production year: 1964
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews (4) of The Train

    View all
  • 4 stars out of 5

    An absolutely marvellous war movie, with Burt Lancaster superb as the railwayman attempting to stop demented Nazi officer Paul Scofield from pillaging art treasures from France in the dying days of the Second World War. The technically flawless direction is by John Frankenheimer (one of his five excellent films with Lancaster), who took over at short notice when Arthur Penn left the production after a disagreement, and the sheer excitement of using real trains is palpable — no models or digital effects here! The French locations are exceptionally well used, and Jeanne Moreau and the great Michel Simon contribute tellingly authentic portrayals. The film also raises an interesting moral issue: is any work of art ever worth a person's life?

    • Radio Times
    • Posted 29 Jan 2006

  • Discount some self-conscious talk about Art as a national heritage, as well as clumsy dubbing of the supporting cast,... read more on Time Out

    • Time Out
    • Posted 04 Nov 2008

  • Most helpful member's review of The Train

    View all
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    What value Art?

    For those expecting to see yer average all action with loads-of-dead-bodies-strewn-all-over-the-place war movie, you're in for a disappointment. But for those who wish to see an intelligent polemic about the nature of war and heroism and how war has a habit of turning accepted values on it's head, you couldn't do much better. Categorise it along Kubrick's Paths of Glory or Finding Private Ryan and you're on the right track. One of Frankenbheimer's best (if not THE best) and most underrated of his films; and certainly one of Burt Lancaster's finest performances. Luminous black & white photography and fanatastic camerawork. A real treat for the eyes. And if you love Trains, well ... what can I say!

      • A customer from Norwich
      • Posted 15 Jun 2005 10:30

  • Most recent members' review of The Train

    View all
  • 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 4 stars

    What value Art?

    For those expecting to see yer average all action with loads-of-dead-bodies-strewn-all-over-the-place war movie, you're in for a disappointment. But for those who wish to see an intelligent polemic about the nature of war and heroism and how war has a habit of turning accepted values on it's head, you couldn't do much better. Categorise it along Kubrick's Paths of Glory or Finding Private Ryan and you're on the right track. One of Frankenbheimer's best (if not THE best) and most underrated of his films; and certainly one of Burt Lancaster's finest performances. Luminous black & white photography and fanatastic camerawork. A real treat for the eyes. And if you love Trains, well ... what can I say!

      • A customer from Norwich
      • Posted 15 Jun 2005 10:30

  • More like this

    View all
    Showing 1 to 4 of 20

    loading

Find cinemas


Rating breakdown

1,065 Member ratings
  • 100
126
  • 90
106
  • 80
210
  • 70
192
  • 60
181
  • 50
103
  • 40
64
  • 30
38
  • 20
30
  • 10
15

Related user collection

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop

    • The Train

    • The Train
    • DVD: £6.93
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £12.79 (you save: 46%)
      • The duo of director John Frankenheimer and actor Burt Lancaster again join forces with the latter starring as French railway inspector Labiche. With Allied forces closing in on occupied Paris, Herman ...