The Train (1964) and the value of art

What is the value of art? It represents the culture, the history, and are irreplaceable but art is far more than that. Poet Amy Lowell stated ‘Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.’ From that we can imply that art is a way of understanding the human soul and experience something truly unique through it and that is another reason why its value is so high.

The Train shows the value of art in the setting of the Second World War, as the Germans attempt to take highly valuable French art out of Paris and into Germany. A group of French soldiers led by Burt Lancaster is working to attempt to steal it back, they are risking their lives for these paintings and there is an interesting debate raised as to why they should do this. They come to the conclusion that these paintings are worth far more than gold or goods, they are irreplaceable. One character describes these paintings as ‘the glory of France’ history and culture are represented through art and they are celebrated and treasured.

This is the then the incentive for the mission, which sets up the fantastic action set pieces that follow it. One of them includes a chase sequence with a spitfire shooting at them and a bombing of the train station. It is incredibly filmed and the tension created by director John Frankenheimer, who also directed one of my favourite classics The Manchurian Candidate (1962), and editor David Bretherton.

Frankenheimer also uses unusual tilts and angles as well as flowing dolly shots that, along with the music, help build suspense. It is a chilling and powerful end that really makes you reflect on the action that took place before it and it is one that is unusual for a film of this sort.