Spinet

The Train (1964)

Actors: Victor Beaumont (actor), Jean-Claude Bercq (actor), Jacques Blot (actor), Paul Bonifas (actor), Jean Bouchaud (actor), Arthur Brauss (actor), Gérard Buhr (actor), Michel Charrel (actor), Nick Dimitri (actor), Louis Falavigna (actor), Max Fromm (actor), Christian Fuin (actor), Helmo Kindermann (actor), Bernard La Jarrige (actor), Richard Bailey (actor),

Plot: As the Allied forces approach Paris in August 1944, German Colonel Von Waldheim is desperate to take all of France's greatest paintings to Germany. He manages to secure a train to transport the valuable art works even as the chaos of retreat descends upon them. The French resistance however wants to stop them from stealing their national treasures but have received orders from London that they are not to be destroyed. The station master, Labiche, is tasked with scheduling the train and making it all happen smoothly but he is also part of a dwindling group of resistance fighters tasked with preventing the theft. He and others stage an elaborate ruse to keep the train from ever leaving French territory.

Keywords: air-raid, air-raid-siren, army, art, art-collection, art-theft, bartender, based-on-book, beating, bicycling
Genres: Action, Thriller, War,
Taglines: It carried their hopes, their nation's honour!

Quotes:

Resistance leader: London agrees the art is important. Anything we can do to save it... but they leave it up to us.::Labiche: Why not? What can they lose? This morning we had four men left in this group. Now we have three. One, two, three.::Pesquet: Bernard?::Labiche: We started with eighteen. Like your paintings, mademoiselle, we couldn't replace them. For certain things we take the risk, but I won't waste lives on paintings.::Miss Villard: They wouldn't be wasted! Excuse me, I know that's a terrible thing to say. But those paintings are part of France. The Germans want to take them away. They've taken our land, our food, they live in our houses, and now they're trying to take our art. This beauty, this vision of life, born out of France, our special vision, our trust... we hold it in trust, don't you see, for everyone? This is our pride, what we create and hold for the world. There are worse things to risk your life for than that.::Labiche: I'm sorry, mademoiselle, we can't help you.

Resistance leader: Right after dawn, all switching tracks and trains in the area will be bombed. The art train is not to be destroyed. Orders are to mark it so that the planes will pass it up.::Labiche: Mark it!::Resistance leader: White paint, on the top of the first three cars. London has decided the paintings must not be damaged.::Labiche: Paint it? For von Waldheim-- make him a present? To hell with London! We started this whole thing for one reason: to stop the train, because the Allies were going to be here! Well, where are they? Every day they've been due, and every day a man has been killed for thinking they were just over the next hill. I say to hell with them. Now they want us to paint the train? Let 'em blow it up!::Didont: Paul, it'd be too bad, if it got blown up... that is, if it could be saved. Papa Boule, Pesquet, the others... they wanted it saved.::Labiche: And they're dead. And they'll never know!::Didont: But we will.

[The tracks are being cleared after the deliberate wreck.]::Colonel von Waldheim: I asked for two cranes.::Major Herren: It took an order from staff headquarters to get this one. With von Runstedt falling back, the army has other uses for railway equipment.::Colonel von Waldheim: All von Runstedt can lose is men. This train is more valuable.

Colonel von Waldheim: Labiche! Here's your prize, Labiche. Some of the greatest paintings in the world. Does it please you, Labiche? Give you a sense of excitement in just being near them? A painting means as much to you as a string of pearls to an ape. You won by sheer luck: you stopped me without knowing what you were doing, or why. You are nothing, Labiche -- a lump of flesh. The paintings are mine; they always will be; beauty belongs to the man who can appreciate it! They will always belong to me or to a man like me. Now, this minute, you couldn't tell me why you did what you did.

Miss Villard: I knew of books being burned, other things... I was terrified that these would be lost.::Colonel von Waldheim: A book is worth a few francs; we Germans can afford to destroy those. We all may not appreciate artistic merit, but cash value is another matter.::Miss Villard: You won't convince me that you're cynical. I know what these paintings mean to you.::Colonel von Waldheim: You are a perceptive woman. [Schmidt enters, with several other soldiers.] We're removing the paintings. Pack them carefully.::Miss Villard: Where are you taking them?!::Colonel von Waldheim: To a safe place.::Miss Villard: But no place is as safe as Paris!

Labiche: Thank you.::Christine: I don't want your thanks. If they'd caught me helping you, I would have been shot.::Labiche: I know. I'm sorry.::Christine: You think you can just run in and out of here and make trouble? I run a hotel, not a madhouse. Who's going to pay for the door? Who's going to pay for the lock? Do you think money grows on trees?::Labiche: There's a war...::Christine: You talk about the war. I talk about what it costs!::Labiche: I'll be leaving in a few hours. You can go back to your good customers.::Christine: They pay. That's what I'm in business for.::Labiche: You should be paid. How much for the damage?::Christine: One hundred francs.::[He pays her.]::Labiche: How much for saving my life?

Labiche: Where are the Allies?::Resistance leader: It has been arranged for a French division to reach Paris first. A gesture.::Labiche: Gesture! They can make gestures! Let them make one for Pesquet, or Jacques! That kid of Lefèvre's... he'd appreciate a gesture.

Didont: I don't like it.::Pesquet: Who does?::Didont: I mean the art train. If the Germans want it so much, maybe we should do something.

Didont: With luck, no one will be hurt.::Labiche: No one's ever hurt. Just dead.::Didont: Paul, uh, have you ever seen any of those paintings on that train? I haven't. You know, when it's over, I think maybe we should take a look, hmm?

Christine: Men want to be heroes, and their widows mourn.