The Train

1965 • 133 minutes

About this movie

Burt Lancaster plays Labiche, a French railway inspector. Allied forces are threatening to liberate Paris, so Col. Franz von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) is ordered to move the priceless works of art from the Jeu de Paume Museum to the fatherland. The head of the museum (Suzanne Flon) attempts to convince Labiche that he should sabotage the train on which they are transporting the art. After his friend is killed trying to stop the train with the art, and after a consciousness-raising conversation with a hotel owner (Jeanne Moreau), Labiche resolves to save the antiquities.

Ratings and reviews

In my humble opinion one of the best world war films ever made and certainly Burt Lancasters , script, acting, action is a masterclass on how a film should be made, also lighting is technically very difficult in a black and white film .if I could award this film ten stars I would

A great movie. Burt Lancaster has a great presence in this role, The story line is depicting that all railroad workers in France were opposing the Germans by sabotage operations. Unfortunately in actual history this wasn't the case. The story of these great painting which are a universal cultural asset is a very good one.

A true piece of art, in itself. Perhaps one of the best action movies of all time. Tight plot, good action sequences, great cinematography, and truly original.