What does the artwork of Marc Chagall, James Ensor, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Vincent Van Gogh all have in common? Works by these master artists were labeled “Degenerate” by the Nazis during the World War II. Many works by these artists were destroyed as works that were created by born criminals whose artwork was regarded in some Nazi circles as dangerous.
The Train is a 1964 movie written by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis and directed by John Frankenheimer. The movie stars Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield and tells the story of a train full of art looted from France by the Nazis. Train employees are told to protect this train as it carries the cultural heritage that the French value, its art. Many frames show us the crates that contain the names of some of the world’s greatest artists: Cezanne, Renoir, Picasso, and even Rembrandt. In some ways, the crated art is a non-speaking co-star of the movie as it is the precious cargo that men are willing to die for to protect.
First of all this movie rocks because of the pacing and cinematography. The idea that the very American Burt Lancaster is a French resistance railroad worker is absurd but you get over it fast especially in part to the fact that this film was made in black and white. Just the choice to shoot this in black and white gives it the presence of a documentary or an old news reel that helps to take the story back to World War II France.
The movie is based on a book by a little-known French heroine named Rose Valland (1898-1980), who wrote a book about her experiences entitled L’Front de l’art. As a museum manager in France during WWII she tried to keep track of the artworks stolen and looted by the Nazis and also tried to keep the French resistance from blowing up trains that contained art being shipped out. Ms. Valland seems to have been no shy, retiring museum worker since she was also a Captain in the French military and one of the most decorated women in French history.
Perhaps the most significant point made by this movie is the comparison between the visible lost human life and the value of the crated artwork that is never seen. This is a wise film about a timeless topic. Read more about The Train here.
The Train is a 1964 movie written by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis and directed by John Frankenheimer. The movie stars Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield and tells the story of a train full of art looted from France by the Nazis. Train employees are told to protect this train as it carries the cultural heritage that the French value, its art. Many frames show us the crates that contain the names of some of the world’s greatest artists: Cezanne, Renoir, Picasso, and even Rembrandt. In some ways, the crated art is a non-speaking co-star of the movie as it is the precious cargo that men are willing to die for to protect.
First of all this movie rocks because of the pacing and cinematography. The idea that the very American Burt Lancaster is a French resistance railroad worker is absurd but you get over it fast especially in part to the fact that this film was made in black and white. Just the choice to shoot this in black and white gives it the presence of a documentary or an old news reel that helps to take the story back to World War II France.
The movie is based on a book by a little-known French heroine named Rose Valland (1898-1980), who wrote a book about her experiences entitled L’Front de l’art. As a museum manager in France during WWII she tried to keep track of the artworks stolen and looted by the Nazis and also tried to keep the French resistance from blowing up trains that contained art being shipped out. Ms. Valland seems to have been no shy, retiring museum worker since she was also a Captain in the French military and one of the most decorated women in French history.
Perhaps the most significant point made by this movie is the comparison between the visible lost human life and the value of the crated artwork that is never seen. This is a wise film about a timeless topic. Read more about The Train here.
