The Train (1964)

With the Allies poised to retake Paris from the Nazis, Col. Franz Von Waldheim conspires to sneak out by train all of the art masterpieces looted to bring back to Germany. But museum curator Mademoiselle Villard alerts the French Resistance, and soon railway inspector Paul Labiche is pressed into service. He reroutes the train and cleverly deceives Von Waldheim by renaming each train station along the way. The Train is a tremendous war film loosely based on the true events of the plundering and looting of French art by the Nazis to be shipped to Germany. Whilst holding some other true historical occurrences, like the French Resistance delaying the transport of a train holding art, this movie takes things further with added drama and action. Naturally, these exaggerations are for the appeal of entertainment values, which was quite frankly phenomenal, being much-welcomed implements to this masterpiece. Yes, I consider this motion picture to be one of the utmost greats in the war genre, which, funnily enough, ties equally with another train-oriented story I love, Von Ryan's Express (1965). Quite interesting to think my favourite war movies are centred around trains, even if they use them in very contrasting ways with Von Ryan showing them as a force for good, whereas this movie shows it as a force to overcome, as seen in the tagline. We follow a small group of resistance fighters, Didont, Presquet and the leader of the operation, Labiche who are tasked with delaying the shipment until the Allies arrive in their imminent Liberation of Paris. Labiche is easily one of the most captivating features of this adventure going from disapproving of the mission to being the one hammering it to completion. He is frequently put to the test over a multitude of occasions and not once does he break. He is pushed relentlessly but he's resilient, still coming back fighting even if he would prefer to stop. With France finally slipping through the Nazis' fingers, Colonel Franz Von Waldheim is more than determined to see that his paintings are delivered to Germany as he pushes his superiors to allow him a train. His single-mindedness makes him a force to reckon with for Labiche in his efforts to stop the locomotive's unceremonious journey. His attempts only infuriate him, making him all the more ruthless. His desperation and fury are displayed throughout the constant setbacks of this treacherous task as he mercilessly kills and orders the deaths of those who oppose him. There are plenty of extremely brutal and horrific deaths that initially and continue to shock me on my viewings. Director Frankenheimer uses this to have us question and contrast the value of art with that of human life. Frankenheimer's direction truly made this film the spectacle it is with many directorial choices fundamentally shaping its grand look. The artistic choice of a black-and-white format paid off tremendously, allowing the picture to be so well defined and detailed with a deep focus. Everything just pops and stands out making for an eye-catching product that leaves your eyes darting to every aspect, always noticing something new. Also, being before CGI, there was a much-needed reliance on physical attributes. Ultimately, this meant explosions were real, buildings are blown up and trains rammed into one another in one of the most notable scenes with the train collisions. It was truly an outstanding moment to see train upon train come crashing into one another knowing it was really done and naturally all in one take. Some of my other favourite scenes revolved around the duping of the Nazis aboard the stolen art train being led by Labiche. One scene involves people banding together to aid the resistance in disguising other stations to appear like they are heading to Germany despite really looping back around. Overall, I admire The Train for all it accomplishes. It delivers an engrossing, peak adventure that also happens to be the last black-and-white action movie made. It is heralded by a brilliant director, a stupendous lead and supporting cast, plus a heap of thought-evoking storytelling, with the cherry on top of glorious explosive action. This is a pinnacle work of cinema that I heartedly insist you check out.

Runtime: 2h 13m

Director: John Frankenheimer

Genre: Action / Thriller / War

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Hannibal Brooks (1969)

In WW2, British soldier Stephen Brooks is captured, becoming a prisoner of war. Alongside fellow POW, he is sent to work at a zoo where he comes to care deeply for the elephant, Lucy. Lucy is scheduled to be transported after a bombing evacuation and is escorted by Brooks, Vronia a cook, Willi a friendly Austrian soldier, and Kurt a brutal German soldier to Innsbruck, Austria. However, Brooks has other ideas and makes plans for a journey to the Swiss border and freedom. Hannibal Brooks was a pleasant surprise for me as I went into it knowing practically nothing. My dad had decided to put it on for the whole family and it was certainly quite the adventure. From the opening sequence, the music played instantly gives off a comedic vibe to the story despite being a war flick. Whilst it is a very funny escapade, it doesn't shy away from the harshness of war or its tragedies. There are frequent gun fights, plenty of death (some even quite brutal) and disastrous bombings. However, balancing out the reality of war and the more upsetting moments is a light-hearted adventure centred around the expedition of an elephant across a series of villages and terrain to its destination, which ends up taking a huge detour. The story features plenty of other comical aspects that come in the form of the varying characters, notably, Packy an American escapee. He's always looking for a way out and frequently trying to convince Brooks to join him and his partisans, but he is devoted to caring for Lucy. I think Packy is my favourite character in the film as he constantly shows up throughout the journey, always managing to cross paths with Brooks. He is absolutely hilarious as he is so calm and relaxed during even the most dire situations, really enjoying himself when taking out Nazis. I loved the scene where he tries to use explosives on a train track that doesn't work leaving him and his men bemused. Only for Brooks and Lucy to knock over some logs that accidentally end up derailing the train and exploding, which Packy takes the credit for saying it was a timed explosive. I would look forward to his eventual next appearance as he practically stole the show, in my opinion. Whenever he showed I knew I was in for some all-guns blazing battles that were extremely eruptive fights. Naturally, our main protagonist is Brooks who is equally loveable with his determination to help Lucy and his many witty remarks to the Nazi officers who he eventually outsmarts at every turn. He is very resourceful and although he doesn't want to fight, he does defend himself and those he cares for. He is particularly tested by the horrible soldier, Kurt, who spends his time getting drunk subsequently shouting commands that if not met would result in his killing of Lucy. Tensions rise every time he makes this threat. It comes to a boiling point when Brooks fights with him after he almost makes good on it where he fortuitously kills Kurt. The remaining expedition set on their way to freedom in Switzerland but along the way separate and reunite, enduring their own hardships or problems. Besides Brooks, I also liked Willi who despite being an opposing soldier, aids the two in their mission during the most difficult situations becoming a true hero. Another hero in this story is our other star, Lucy the elephant. She helps to take out Nazis from dropping logs on them to pulling down overhanging beams of a Nazi watchtower close to the Swiss border. Without her help, our protagonists wouldn't have made it to freedom. Throughout the movie, there are plenty of themes that whilst may be extremely varying and contrasting in tone, didn't subtract from my enjoyment. I loved each side of the film from the comedy to the life-on-the-line conflict, not once feeling jarred by the changes in tone. Overall, I was instantly hooked on Hannibal Brooks and I found it immensely powerful. I found each character to be engaging, wanting to see this journey through to the end to see if they will make it past the ever-nearing conflict. I would highly recommend checking out this cult classic especially if you are a war movie fan. Plus, the whole film can be found on YouTube for free making for some easily-accessible viewing.  

Runtime: 1h 41m

Director: Michael Winner

Genre: Action / Adventure / Comedy / War

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1917 (2019)

During World War I, on April 6th 1917 on a battlefield in Northern France, two British soldiers: Lance Corporal Schofield and Lance Corporal Blake receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time, they must cross over into enemy territory to deliver a message that could potentially save 1,600 of their comrades, including Blake's brother, from walking straight into a deadly trap. Braving the many dangers of the great war the two soldiers venture forth to save the lives of thousands. I was blown away by this movie. The cinematography was incredible with some of the most amazing shots I have ever seen, especially with the way it was filmed to appear as one continuous shot throughout. The technique used in the film was so well done, that I almost thought it truly was done in one shot. The only times this is broken on screen is when the screen fades to black, otherwise, it was cleverly hidden in plain sight through scenes of passing behind a tree, which would end the scene and begin the next but it was done so seamlessly that if you weren't looking so hard to catch it out, you would think it was completely continuous. Filming in this style was such a brilliant idea because it constantly has you moving forward and you feel every step on their journey in real-time, feeling like a third soldier on this mission, getting us up close and personal. With little to no breaks, we are taken on that journey and experience all the hardships first-hand. This can best be seen during the opening segment with the crossing of no man's land, which is a difficult area to navigate with obstacles like barbed wire and craters. This feature is a huge testament to director, Sam Mendes and the crew for creating a technical filming achievement that has me wanting to see more films done in this way. I have always been fascinated by the 1st and 2nd World Wars as a part of our history and is a period I find very interesting to learn about, especially since this historical conflict is presented much less than WWII in media, both movies and video games. This film perfectly encapsulates the gritty feel and look of a world at war, showing us the true horrors of the time. The film isn't heavily action based with full-out warfare, it has some action and tense fights but nothing so grand as you expect from most war films, which if anything works to this film's advantage of visual storytelling. If it is more action, battle-filled products set in the 1st World War, there are plenty out there and if you like video games check out the magnificent: Battlefield 1 (Video Game 2016) that has the same amount of detail as this movie. I think this film does a phenomenal job at breaking those expected stereotypes of war films, especially by implementing the one-shot technique, which ups the tension and gets us, the viewer, in the world, feeling close to the characters on their journey and mission. The whole film is laced with heart-in-mouth moments that have you uneasy at every step with a constant dread at what could be around the corner. Both Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and Schofield (George Mackay) are exceptionally well-played in this film and are extremely compelling. A great deal of weight is put on the expedition with the knowledge of Blake's brother as one of the 1,600 lives in danger, which drives them forward as a constant weight on their shoulders. It is very hard to pick my favourite moment, but if I had to choose one, it would be the most iconic scene where Schofield runs across the on-charging soldiers over the front line as explosions blow around them. Truly a superb sequence certain to have you on the edge of your seat. Overall, 1917 is unlike anything I have witnessed, especially for the war genre. The amount of effort and time that has gone into making this is really impressive, right down to the smallest of details they implemented to make it so believable (which can be seen in the behind-the-scenes video below). From crossing no man's land and the devastation around them to running through a destroyed town lit only by flares and burning buildings in an on-foot chase, this film has so many visually detailed and intriguing shots certain to have you in complete awe. I can say that this is undoubtedly worth looking at. What a masterpiece.

 

Runtime: 1h 59m

Director: Sam Mendes

Genre: Action / Drama / War

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Von Ryan's Express (1965)

Ryan, an American prisoner of war, leads his fellow prisoners on a dangerous escape from the Germans in Italy. Having seemingly made errors of judgement, Ryan has to win the support of the mainly British soldiers he is commanding. After being transported from the camp due to a failed escape attempt, they commandeer a train and head towards the Swiss border. As the Italian war effort collapses, the escapees are aided by their former captors, but when the Germans catch on, they set out to halt the escape with an armoured train and aerial attack. This is a fantastic World War II film and an action-packed story that I thoroughly enjoyed. There are some great executed plans, like the hijacking of the train to disguising as soldiers to fool the Nazis. They even manage to evade the Gestapo at the checkpoints, which entailed some suspenseful scenes as they try to deceive the enemy. There are times when you wonder if they are going to get caught out and it has you watching on the edge of your seat as you hope they can succeed. One of my favourite scenes is when the Gestapo question the escapees after they notice one of them wearing an American watch. They make out he got it as a reward for shooting down an American plane, however, when they start following them they think they are done for. Luckily, it was only because he wanted to bargain for the watch, but when only one of them speaks German it leads them into a sticky situation. There is some phenomenal acting in this film, especially some surprisingly outstanding work from the lead, Frank Sinatra. Despite being a singer and not an actor, this has to be one of his best films that I have seen. The whole rest of the cast is just as good, it was also fun seeing Edward Mulhare who has been in numerous other favourite movies and shows of mine. From a main role in the iconic show Knight Rider (TV Series 1982-1986) to a one-time appearance in Battlestar Galactica (TV Series 1978-1979), he has shown up in many shows I adore. All the scenes on the train are nothing short of incredible. I love trains in movies but most especially when put in these kind of scenarios, much like in westerns when they hijack them in robberies. The train takeover was extremely stressful as they slowly replaced the Nazi soldiers sitting on top of the moving vehicle. You feel so paranoid that one will turn around and it all be over. The sequence was such a good use of suspense, that was present throughout the whole film, which upped the tension and had me so engaged in every scene, not knowing where it might go or what could happen. The whole climax is just filled with gun fights, aerial bombardments and huge explosions. It is a real fight for survival on the border of freedom. There is a very shocking ending as well that is very tragic. I was left quite surprised as it came out of nowhere and I am sure I was not alone. If you haven't seen this film or the ending and don't want spoilers then skip past the red. *Spoilers* As the train is able to start moving again to freedom, the remaining soldiers start climbing aboard with Ryan running after the train. Unfortunately, he is being followed by Nazi soldiers who gun him down before he is able to make it aboard. It is such a heartbreaking moment, but most especially when you realise he saved all of those men after constantly being told even if one man gets out, it would be a victory. He saved everyone at the cost of his life. Von Ryan's Express is just an excellent film and a favourite of mine, especially in terms of a war film. It has a lot to offer with superb acting, prison escapes, high-stakes action, infiltration sequences whilst outsmarting the enemy, train takeovers and a solid story. Overall, this underrated movie is a thrilling adventure that more people should try and see. There is heaps of tension layered throughout as our band of heroes attempt the impossible in this exciting escape. So grab those soldier uniforms, hijack a train and charge into the cult classic that is Von Ryan's Express.

Runtime: 1h 57m

Director: Mark Robson

Genre: Action / Adventure / War

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