The Train

A train is being loaded in occupied Paris to carry artworks to Germany. Railwaymen in the resistance have to stop it without damaging the paintings inside. The film takes its tension from that constraint: sabotage the train, protect the cargo. The narrative also asks openly how many lives the paintings are worth and does not answer for the audience. John Frankenheimer directed. Burt Lancaster stars and performed scenes without a double. The collisions and derailments were shot with real locomotives. Who it's for: those who like classical war thrillers and practical effects. Who it's not for: viewers wanting fast action; the film spends a long time on mechanical detail.