Films

[ianp]

I have just been watching the 1938 French film La Bete Humaine, based on the novel by Emile Zola. Dreadful clunky acting but lots of fantastic film of French steam engines, stations and depots. Are there any other drama films set so heavily on the railway? And I don't mean Murder on the Orient Express or the Titfield Thunderbolt.

[PhilH]

Um...The Train?

[Andy Hayter]

Yes most definitely The Train (not so many prototypical views of the underside of a loco are there?) , but also (despite Ian's statement) Murder on the Orient express has shots of 141Rs and even From Russia with Love has a 140C inter-cut with Turkish and even BR shots (well there just steam trains ain't they?). 

[Oldddudders]

La Bataille du Rail. French, 1946, and a sort of precursor to the Burt Lancaster epic on the same theme, filmed with, but not by, amateurs. I have a copy somewhere, but am ashamed to admit not yet watching it.

 

And ISTR Les Parapluies de Cherbourg includes an overhead station scene in which the heroine's love interest is carted off to do his National Service, by train, naturally, with lots of shrill steam whistling. As the entire dialogue is sung, you need to be keen on French singing to reach that scene! But the music is by Michel Legrand, at least.

[dullsteamer]

La Bataille du Rail. French, 1946, and a sort of precursor to the Burt Lancaster epic on the same theme, filmed with, but not by, amateurs. I have a copy somewhere, but am ashamed to admit not yet watching it.

You should - it's very good. Not only for the railway interest, but there's a lot of authentic German AFVs and other vehicles if you're interested in them. A trainload of them get destroyed in the last scene!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[Foulounoux]

Jiri Menzels. Closely Observed Trains Czech New Wave fil and won the 1968 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film

Set in Ww2 it's a coming of age film but also an allegory for the story of Czech during and post war

[Gordonwis]

Von Ryan's Express - whole film on an Italian steam  train climbing into the Alps (with innacurate references to Swiss border area)

[pete_mcfarlane]

If you want vintage French railways in films, then 'Le Vacances de Monsieur Hulot' is worth a watch.

 

In fact, it's just worth a watch. You'll realise where Rowan Atkinson got his Mr bean act from....

[Joseph_Pestell]

If you want vintage French railways in films, then 'Le Vacances de Monsieur Hulot' is worth a watch.

 

In fact, it's just worth a watch. You'll realise where Rowan Atkinson got his Mr bean act from....

I don't think that Rowan Atkinson would seek to deny that influence. But I still think that Mr Bean is a genius performance even though I don't much like that sort of comedy.

 

Back to the OP, the film is about as based on Zola's novel as most Hollywood films are true to the original works i.e. not very much. I much prefer the novel and would love to see it made properly into a film. Back in Gabin's day that would have been difficult, but with modern CGI techniques it should be possible.

[Joseph_Pestell]

A couple of good French station scenes in Day of the Jackal, particularly his arrival at Austerlitz with plenty of old electrics on view.

[dullsteamer]

If you want vintage French railways in films, then 'Le Vacances de Monsieur Hulot' is worth a watch.

 

In fact, it's just worth a watch. You'll realise where Rowan Atkinson got his Mr bean act from....

It sure is, but then any of Tati's films are worth watching. There's a short sequence with a narrow gauge train in 'Jour de Fete' that's good, too.

 

Mark.

[sn]

La Bataille du Rail. French, 1946, and a sort of precursor to the Burt Lancaster epic on the same theme, filmed with, but not by, amateurs. I have a copy somewhere, but am ashamed to admit not yet watching it.

 

And ISTR Les Parapluies de Cherbourg includes an overhead station scene in which the heroine's love interest is carted off to do his National Service, by train, naturally, with lots of shrill steam whistling. As the entire dialogue is sung, you need to be keen on French singing to reach that scene! But the music is by Michel Legrand, at least.

Stunning crash sequence at the end of that film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Joseph_Pestell]

Just done a re-run of Day of the Jackal on Netflix as SWMBO had never seen it.

 

Lots of lovely 1960s vehicles although many that are late 60s rather than early 60s as they should be. His main car is a lovely Alfa 101 Spider, almost a dead ringer for the one owned by Rory Bremner.

 

I know that we have discussed where "Tulle" (presumably mentioned in the novel) is. The station in the film is a through station and ex-PLM, not P-O. I need to look that up. Somewhere in the Alps (?) and quite a large station

 

The subsequent shots, with a lovely variety of rolling stock, but not of the type that he boards, are probably on ex-PO lines but inconsistent - a CC7100 on one shot but a BB9200 in Capitole livery on arrival at Paris-Austerlitz.

 

Edit to add: Just had a look at Veynes station. Think that may be "Tulle". Track layout certainly about right. Not quite sure about the buildings.

Edited October 2, 2017 by Joseph_Pestell

[EddieB]

There's a new version of Murder on the Orient Express coming out in November (or Movember perhaps, given Kenneth Branagh's hairy appendage). Although said to be filmed in Malta, Valle d'Aosta and Surrey, the locomotive appears to be a modified 241.A.65 from the collection at Luzern. Further details appreciated.

[Joseph_Pestell]

There's a new version of Murder on the Orient Express coming out in November (or Movember perhaps, given Kenneth Branagh's hairy appendage). Although said to be filmed in Malta, Valle d'Aosta and Surrey, the locomotive appears to be a modified 241.A.65 from the collection at Luzern. Further details appreciated.

If I wanted to make a film with a railway in it, I would not choose Malta.

[EddieB]

If I wanted to make a film with a railway in it, I would not choose Malta.

Or an avalanche in the Swiss Alps, I wouldn’t choose Surrey.

[ianp]

Well, I have just watched The Train. It's a brilliant film, and not just for the trains. Creating some genuine tension from the start, and keeping it going all the way, is quite an achievement.

Edited October 13, 2017 by ianp