Night Train to Munich
The Criterion Collection
Carol Reed’s Night Train to Munich is a twisting, turning, cloak-and-dagger delight, combining comedy, romance, and thrills with the greatest of ease. Paced like an out-of-control locomotive, Night Train takes viewers on a World War II–era journey from Prague to England to the Swiss Alps, as Nazis pursue a Czech scientist and his daughter (Margaret Lockwood), who are being aided by a debonair British undercover agent, played by Rex Harrison. This captivating, long-overlooked adventure—which also features Paul Henreid and a clever screenplay by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, best known for writing Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lady Vanishes—is a deftly concocted spy game that could give the master of suspense a run for his money.
Member Reviews
I Don't See the Value - SkyHook
I wanted to like this recommended title, but I couldn't.
The problem with that war-time breakwater is that I find it hard to watch cookie cutter characters and plotlines combined with studio lighting that looks like I went to a stage play with the colour removed. None of that is supposed to be as important as the story, but I think the evolution of those character stereotypes, and the technological improvements and experiments passed since 1940, force the story to be overwhelmingly impressive, far more than it deserved to be when the movie was made.
Night Train wasn't impressive enough for me to accept the passing of time. If I had an encyclopedic knowledge of this movie's place in time or evolution I might have given it more credit, but it just felt old and tired to me with too much winking at the audience and over-the-top character stereotyping. Drawn out atmosphere and laughable studio models were ignorable but added to my overall feeling of wanting to escape Grandma's house (easily, my favorite model was the prisoner camp searchlight that never seemed to reach the end of its range or horizon).
I gave it two stars out of respect.
Member Reviews
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I Don't See the Value - SkyHook
I wanted to like this recommended title, but I couldn't.
The problem with that war-time breakwater is that I find it hard to watch cookie cutter characters and plotlines combined with studio lighting that looks like I went to a stage play with the ...