The Train

 

The Train

                                    French locomotive, 1944 - 1950

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

We watched ‘The Train’ the other night. It was released in 1964, starring Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield and Jeanne Moreau, and was directed by John Frankenheimer. We had seen it many years ago but found it well worth viewing again. The version we watched included commentary by the director, which made it unique and very interesting.

 It was loosely based on the book, ‘Le front de l’art’, by Rose Valland, who was an art historian and member of the French Resistance. She recorded the Nazi theft of masterpieces of art from national and private Jewish ownership. A few weeks before the liberation of Paris, she learnt that plans were afoot to remove the plundered art works to Germany. 5 wagons containing 967 paintings by Braque, Degas, Modigliani and others, were hooked up to another 48 carrying stolen furniture and precious goods. The train left Aubervilliers railway station just outside Paris and broke down at Le Bourget. While it was being repaired, the French Resistance derailed two trains, blocking the tracks and leaving the train stranded.

Rose Valland saved thousands of works of art.

Frankenheimer’s commentary throughout added immeasurably to an appreciation of the work that went into it. Burt Lancaster learnt the skills required for driving a locomotive and engineering replacement parts, and performed all his own stunts. On a day off from filming, he damaged his knee while playing golf. It swelled up, in John Frankenheimer’s words, ‘like a football’, causing him to limp in great pain. He was very upset and thought filming would have to stop but he and Frankenheimer found a way round the problem by writing in a scene in which his character, French resistance worker Labiche, was shot in the knee.

  Frankenheimer described how scenes had been set up and the difficulties involved in filming explosions.  He also commented on social attitudes in the France of 1944.