Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Train Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 22, 2021

John Frankenheimer's "The Train" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include archival audio commentary by the director; new audio commentary by critic Steve Mitchell and author Jay Rubin; episode of Trailers From Hell; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked'.

Very little of the drama and action that you will see in John Frankenheimer’s film The Train are factual. Shortly before Paris was liberated, the Nazis did attempt to steal an astonishing number of invaluable paintings and precious museum objects, but the train that was supposed to take them to Germany never left the area. Instead, a group of administrators did some pretty creative work that allowed them to keep repositioning the train until the Allies eventually arrived.

In the film, the train has a remarkable journey. It is operated by Paul Labiche (Burt Lancaster), a senior inspector for the SNCF (French National Railway Corporation), who also happens to be one of the top men in the French Resistance. Initially, Labiche opposes the operation to save the priceless masterpieces because he isn’t convinced that they are worth the inevitable loss of human lives, but then changes his mind and proposes a plan that requires contributions from multiple parties. After a previously planned air attack, however, the elderly machinist (Michel Simon) who was chosen to operate the train is executed, and Colonel Franz von Waldheim (Paul Scofield), who oversees the steal, orders Labiche to take his spot. The replacement immediately collapses Labiche’s original plan, which is why he and a couple of fellow resistance members who are also brought on the train as mechanics begin improvising. Keeping the Germans convinced that the train is moving toward Germany quickly proves to be an incredibly dangerous play with a number of unknown and unpredictable participants, which occasionally fools even the allied planes that are patrolling the railways connecting France to Germany.

Despite substantial international contributions, The Train really is a big old-fashioned Hollywood film that tries to impress with visuals of the type that are no longer possible to conceive and stage. However, it is not just the size and scope of the visuals that impress, but the remarkable emphasis on period detail as well. The massive air attack that was shot at the Gargenville yard, for instance, instantly infuses the film with a degree of authenticity that is impossible to miss. And again, it isn’t only the aerial shots that look great. The camera actually spends plenty of time observing the locomotives, the hangars, and repair machinery, and none of them are replicas. This gives the audience an incredibly authentic sense of the actual environment in which the train was expected to survive.

The action isn’t free of melodrama, but the film has a good pacing which prevents it from becoming overwhelming. Simon, for instance, is unquestionably miscast as the temperamental Papa Boule and the footage where he is seen sabotaging the train’s departure is actually one of the weakest in the entire film. Simply put, the intensity of the situation and the humor Simon adds to it are impossible to balance right so that his character and actions appear legit. Thankfully, Simon exits the film rather quickly. Lancaster’s relationship with the hotel lady (Jeanne Moreau) is also a tad too casual, but at least it does not become a distraction that influences his decision-making process, and as a result he remains the confident star the film needs to keep building its suspense property. Of course, most of the Germans are portrayed either as clueless brutes or pompous clowns which is why there is plenty of melodramatic footage where they act and overreact in very predictable ways, but this is a classic flaw of just about every major war film that Hollywood has made over the years.

The entire film would have looked far more authentic with plenty of exchanges in French and German, but this was clearly an unmanageable scenario given Lancaster’s involvement.

The Train Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Train arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

I quite like the look of MGM's current master. There are a few blemishes that pop up here and there, but depth, clarity, and delineation are very good. This master is very nicely graded as well, which is why a lot of the darker footage can look quite strong. In fact, I would like to specifically mention that I did not see any particularly distracting black crush, which is a very common limitation on older masters. Density levels are very good, often even excellent, though my guess is that if the film ever gets a modern 4K makeover some meaningful improvements will be introduced. Virtually all of them should have something to do with overall stability because there are a few areas with minor but noticeable density fluctuations that will be minimized or eliminated. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is very good. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Train Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

While the dialog is very easy to follow, the lossless audio can definitely sound better. There are more than a few areas where some exchanges can become quite 'thin' and 'flat', plus there are some pretty basic dynamic unevenness which was likely introduced by ageing. On the other hand, the audio is very clean, so proper rebalancing work should introduce all of the key improvements that are needed for the audio to be as good as possible.

The Train Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage U.S. trailer for The Train. In English, not subtitled. (5 min, 480/60i).

• Trailers From Hell - an archival episode of Trailers From Hell with director Brian Trenchard-Smith (The Quest). In English, not subtitled. (6 min, 1080p).

• Commentary One - this archival audio commentary was recorded by John Frankenheimer and has appeared on other home video releases of The Train. The bulk of the comments address the film's production history, some changes that were made during the shooting process, the lensing of particular sequences, the nature of the events that are documented in the film, etc.

• Commentary Two - in this new audio commentary, critic Steve Mitchell and author Jay Rubin (Combat Films: American Realism) discuss the visual style of The Train, the choreography, specific lensing choices and specifically how some explosions were done, the casting choices, different trends in American and French cinema prior to the shooting of the film, etc.

• Isolated Score - presented as DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

• Booklet - 8-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Julie Kirgo.

• Reversible Cover - presented as DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.

The Train Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Frankenheimer's The Train is a great, well, train film. What you see in it is real and shot in a way that is hugely impressive. (It seems even more impressive now, since digital technology has made this particular type of film-making obsolete). But I am not convinced that it is the monumental war masterpiece some of its biggest admirers claim it is. It plays fast and loose with the truth and in the process produces an avalanche of familiar cliches that makes it impossible to ignore the fact that it was conceived to be a grand Hollywood-esque spectacle. It is an entertaining film, but this isn't the same as being a great and more importantly believable war film. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older but strong organic master that was supplied by MGM. RECOMMENDED. (If you enjoy period train films and can play Region-B discs, consider tracking down Rene Clement's The Battle of the Rails as well).