The Battle of the Rails (1946)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- This episodic film recounts the exploits of French railway workers supporting the activities of the French Resistance during tho Second World War. From the start ot the Nazi Occupation to the Liberation, the film shows the invaluable part played by ordinary railway workers in defeating the Germans. The second hall of the film is concerned mainly with a daring attempt to sabotage a German convey heading for Normandy.
- Actors:
- Marcel Barnault, Jean Clarieux, Jean Daurand, Jacques Desagneaux, François Joux, Pierre Latour, Tony Laurent, Robert Le Ray, Pierre Lozach, Pierre Mindaist, Léon Pauléon, Fernand Rauzéna, Redon, Michel Salina, Max Woll
- Directors:
- René Clément
- Producers:
- Pierre Lévy-Corti
- Voiced By:
- Charles Boyer
- Narrated By:
- Charles Boyer
- Writers:
- René Clément, Colette Audry
- Others:
- René Clément
- Aka:
- La Bataille Du Rail
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
- Countries:
- France
- Awards:
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Reviews (1) of The Battle of the Rails
Classic French Film about Railway Resistance/Sabotage incredibly made in 1945 when WWII was ongoing! - The Battle of the Rails review by PV
WHY THIS FILM HAS AN IMAGE OF THE FIFTH ELEMENT I DO NOT KNOW! I hope Cinema Paradiso can fix that!
This is a 1946 black-and-white documentary-style film almost incredibly filmed in situ in 1945 at the end of the war when the Nazis were still in France!
By the great French director Clement who made WHEN PARIS WAS BURNING (1966) about the end of the WWII Nazi occupation, the superb FORBIDDEN GAMES and the glorious early version of THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY called PLEIN SOLEIL.
As said before, documentary-style with sound added later, and a truly amazing climatic scene. All about the Resistance, even though yes, it ignores the massive collaboration in France and other occupied lands, or the French-run Vichy regime which had French gendarmes rounding up Jews to cram on trains bound to the death camps.
This focuses on the sabotage done by railwaymen (no women, just men) which was common around Nazi-occupied Europe. The train workers tried strikes in both Prague and Holland, which the Nazis ruthlessly put down BUT after German was losing the war 1943/4, their troops were too busy to stop these strikes so instead took revenge through cutting off supplies, as with Amsterdam - leading to the 'hunger winter' of 1944, as all food diverted to German troops and away from civilian populations after the Dutch railwaymen went on strike.
A classic and an important film, esp for anyone interested in the Second World War.
5 stars.