The Train hit Blu-Ray on June 10 in a Limited Edition of 3000 from Twilight Time.
What is the value of art?
We know, perhaps in a rote and unthinking sense, that art has value. Sometimes that comes in the form of a price tag, but intrinsically art has an intangible worth. What is the value of art, weighed against human struggle? Against human life? Surprisingly, John Frankenheimer’s The Train is a film which asks this very question.
With The Monuments Men tackling similar subject matter in 2014, the very same quandary was again brought into question. While the film didn’t fare well, it proved that the themes tackled by The Train are still relevant, prompting conversations like this one:
At face value, The Train is an old fashioned war-action vehicle. At the very end of World War II, the Nazis are facing defeat and turning toward home. Under the command of Colonel Von Waldheim, they direct their attention to a trove of stolen artwork that they’ve confiscated and stored in a Parisian warehouse, with a plan to load the ill-gotten art aboard a train bound for Germany. We see the paintings crated and labeled during the title sequence: an amazing collection of Van Gogh, Renoir, Picasso, Matisse, Seurat, Degas, Manet, Lautrec, Gauguin, and others.
Von Waldheim has persuaded his superiors that the ransacking of valuable paintings will fill German coffers, but it’s clear that his motivations aren’t based on economic factors. He is an art lover, but in a maniacal and desperate fashion. He must own or control these works; it has become his obsession. His motivation is the inherent value of art.
Some local French Resistance fighters, including the trainyard manager Labiche and his employees, are enlisted to stop it. The French overseer of the art collection, Mademoiselle Villard, convinces them that their national identity is wrapped up in these works, but we know that is not her real motivation. Her real motivation is also the inherent value of art. But like von Waldheim, she won’t tell that to the men whom she is asking for help — in this case, to risk their own lives. As Labiche says, the paintings may be irreplaceable, but so are his men.
From there the film takes on an action-packed thrill-ride approach, but the seeds of the theme have already been planted. Labiche and his co-conspirators must make their attempts to delay or stop the train, coordinating with allies in the various stations while trying to evade detection by the Germans who are keeping a close watch on their actions. In one of the best such gags, several stations change their signage to masquerade as different cities, hiding the fact that the train has been taken off its course.
Everything about the film gives it a sense of rough-cut authenticity. Burt Lancaster and other actors did their own stunts and mechanical railroad work. The film is shot almost entirely on real locations rather than sets. This is particularly spectacular for some big sequences including massive air strike which blows up a trainyard (shot by blowing up an actual station — real trains, real buildings — with dynamite), and a derailment followed by a multi-train wreck. Even the constantly moving camera and black and white cinematography (Frankenheimer calls it the last big black and white action picture) lends a sense of documentary-like era-appropriateness.
The Train is a war picture of the classic mold which manages to be both action-packed and thought-provoking.
THE PACKAGE
The Train comes to Blu-Ray from Twilight Time in a limited edition of 3000 units. The package includes a 8-page booklet with an expert essay on the film written by Twilight Time film historian Julie Kirgo.
The movie includes English subtitles and the picture is slightly matted on the sides due to the 1.66 aspect ratio.
The film is not rated but is equivalent a “PG” for war themes and some gun violence.
Special Features
The film comes packed with two audio commentaries; one from John Frankenheimer himself and another created by the folks at Twilight Time.
Audio Commentary with Director John Frankenheimer
Proper director commentaries are uncommon for films of this vintage, so it’s really fortunate that John Frankenheimer provided one for The Train (he died in 2002). This commentary track starts out a bit sparse, but once he gets going it fills out nicely. He remembered the making of the film very well, and provides lots of cool information: explanations of how particular shots were achieved, tidbits about the cast, and insights about the film’s realism.
Audio Commentary with Film Historians Julie Kirgo, Paul Seydor, and Nick Redman
A very conversational track which covers many angles of the film: historical accuracy, stunt work and realism, behind the scenes and making-of notes, details on cast and crew including a ton of background about Burt Lancaster, and the film’s place in history.
Isolated Score Track
The film’s adventuresome score was created by Maurice Jarre (Lawrence Of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, A Passage To India).
Original Theatrical Trailer (4:23)
Presented in matted 4:3
A/V Out.
Get the Blu-Ray exclusively at Screen Archives Entertainment:
The Train — [Blu-Ray]