MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Train

The Train

1964 · 133 min

A grim, methodical cat-and-mouse struggle of sabotage and stubbornness, shot in stark black and white with a heavy sense of sacrifice.

Tagline
It carried their hopes, their nation's honour!
Overview
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.
Stream in the UK
  • Amazon Prime Video
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 3 of 3
  • darkstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • war
  • obsession
  • art
  • survival
  • loyalty
Places
  • countryside
  • workplace
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language mild
  • Violence strong
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action6
Horror2
Humour1
Realism8
Romance1
Tension8
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight7

More like this

Titles like The Train

Movie

Army of Shadows

1969

A cold, methodical plunge into resistance life, where every gesture carries the weight of imminent death and moral compromise.

Same cinematographer: Walter Wottitz · Tense, earnest · about war and loyalty

Also
Same cinematographer: Walter Wottitz
Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • loyalty
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
145 min
Details In your watch list
Army of ShadowsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Battle of the Rails

1946

A sober, documentary-like chronicle of quiet sabotage and risk, tense and earnest, with the texture of real railway work.

Tense, dark · about war and survival · true story

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
85 min
Details In your watch list
The Battle of the RailsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Bridge on the River Kwai

1957

A grand, patient war epic that builds tension slowly and ends in a devastating, unforgettable explosion of madness.

Tense, dark · about war and obsession · true story

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • obsession
  • true story
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
162 min
Details In your watch list
The Bridge on the River KwaiHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Von Ryan's Express

1965

A tense, propulsive wartime adventure with constant friction and narrow escapes, anchored by a clash of wills and a bittersweet cost.

Tense, dark · about war and survival

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
117 min
Details In your watch list
Von Ryan's ExpressHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Lucky Strike

2026

A tense, gritty survival trek through wintry woods, punctuated by bursts of violence and a quiet sense of duty.

Tense, dark · about war and survival · true story

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
  • true story
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Runtime
102 min
Details In your watch list
Lucky StrikeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Great Escape

1963

A patient, methodical build of camaraderie and ingenuity that turns into a tense, bittersweet adventure with a famous motorcycle chase.

Tense, earnest · about war and survival · true story

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • war
  • survival
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
173 min
Details In your watch list
The Great EscapeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Resistance Banker

2018

A tense, somber wartime drama that balances suspenseful capers with the moral weight of occupation.

Tense, dark · about war and survival · true story

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
124 min
Details In your watch list
The Resistance BankerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Is Paris Burning?

1966

A sweeping, tense historical epic that immerses you in the high-stakes drama of a city on the brink, with a large ensemble and a palpable sense of urgency.

Same composer: Maurice Jarre · Tense, dark · about war and survival · true story

Also
Same composer: Maurice Jarre
Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
173 min
Details In your watch list
Is Paris Burning?Hidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Anthropoid

2016

A grim, slow-building war thriller that tightens like a wire, ending in a harrowing, claustrophobic last stand.

Tense, dark · about war and survival · true story

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
120 min
Details In your watch list
AnthropoidHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Decision Before Dawn

1951

A grim, patient war thriller that keeps you tense and quietly moved by the moral weight of its choices.

Tense, dark · about war and survival · true story

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
119 min
Details In your watch list
Decision Before DawnHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

De Gaulle: Résistance

2026

A tense, weighty historical drama that immerses you in the desperate resolve of one man against the collapse of his nation.

Tense, dark · about war and survival · true story

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
  • survival
  • true story
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
160 min
Details In your watch list
De Gaulle: RésistanceHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Inglourious Basterds

2009

A tense, talky thriller with explosive bursts of violence, darkly funny and stylized, keeping you on edge through long, suspenseful conversations.

Tense, dark · about war

Via
  • tense
  • dark
  • war
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
153 min
Details In your watch list
Inglourious BasterdsHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • Amazon Prime Video
Free
  • YouTube Free
Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
  • Sky Store
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
war, thriller
Directed by
John Frankenheimer
Written by
Howard Dimsdale, Walter Bernstein, Nedrick Young, Frank Davis
Starring
Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau, Suzanne Flon, Michel Simon, Wolfgang Preiss, Albert Rémy, Charles Millot
Music
Maurice Jarre
Cinematography
Jean Tournier, Walter Wottitz
Runtime
133 min
Country
France, Italy, United States of America
Languages
German, English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata