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Alongside 'Twilight's Last Gleaming', I regard it as one of Robert Aldrich's best ever films.
Set during the Great Depression it tells the story of 'A Number One', a hobo/tramp who is a legend amongst his community as being able to go anywhere where he likes. The mode of travel for the hobo community is the steam trains of the era, and these are fantastically realised by Aldrich. In the film, they are noisey, monsters of iron that thunder down the tracks. With a formidable reputation among the rail workers too, Marvin's A Number One takes on the greatest challenge of his career when he decides to ride a train which is the preserve of a feared and terrifying guard called 'The Shack' played by Ernest Borgnine.
The Shack is a psychopath who kills any hobos that set foot on his train let alone attempt to ride it. To date no hobo has ever done just that and the stage is set for one hell of a show down.
Accompanying Marvin, is 'Old Cigarette' a youthful hobo played by Keith Carradine who is still learning the trade.......
The performances of both Borgnine and Marvin are superlative and are amongst both actors very best.
Aldrich as ever lets the detail of the period enter the film and there are many wry and ironic scenes. The scene where the current US President is broadcasting on the radio, inviting any US citizen to tell the government how they could spend their budget better, while the listeners are all tramps in squalid conditions is typical. A similarly wry scene shows the Baptists in the river preaching forgiveness until they realise that their clothes have been stolen, then as a mob they go looking for vengeance....
Neither does Aldrich pulls punches with his depiction of how the railway workers view the tramps which is at best with contempt. Even the Cops are depicted as desperate victims of the times who will arrest a tramp, lock him away indefinitely, and pocket the two dollars a day that the government pays for the person's upkeep, instead of following statutory sentences and guidelines
The film is unflinchingly violent and the squeamish should probably look elsewhere.
The film was not a success in its cinema release but has since deservedly acquired a reputation as a cult movie. People who see it for the first time tend to be amazed by it and ask why they have not seen it before? Says it all really.
And yes I am in total agreement with other reviewers on here - RELEASE THIS FILM ON DVD!
The performance by Keith Carradine as Marvin's slippery sidekick also demonstrates the depth of acting skill in this film. If you've watched 'The Duelists' you'll see why.
The only thing I found disappointing is the music. This has a sort of jazzy country-singalong style which doesn't sit at all happily with the confrontational mood of the film.
There are lots of parallels with ' Runaway Train' with John Voight which I have also reviewed(exept for the music which in that case is brilliant). This film however, is the more convincing story.
Alongside 'Twilight's Last Gleaming', I regard it as one of Robert Aldrich's best ever films.
Set during the Great Depression it tells the story of 'A Number One', a hobo/tramp who is a legend amongst his community as being able to go anywhere where he likes. The mode of travel for the hobo community is the steam trains of the era, and these are fantastically realised by Aldrich. In the film, they are noisey, monsters of iron that thunder down the tracks. With a formidable reputation among the rail workers too, Marvin's A Number One takes on the greatest challenge of his career when he decides to ride a train which is the preserve of a feared and terrifying guard called 'The Shack' played by Ernest Borgnine.
The Shack is a psychopath who kills any hobos that set foot on his train let alone attempt to ride it. To date no hobo has ever done just that and the stage is set for one hell of a show down.
Accompanying Marvin, is 'Old Cigarette' a youthful hobo played by Keith Carradine who is still learning the trade.......
The performances of both Borgnine and Marvin are superlative and are amongst both actors very best.
Aldrich as ever lets the detail of the period enter the film and there are many wry and ironic scenes. The scene where the current US President is broadcasting on the radio, inviting any US citizen to tell the government how they could spend their budget better, while the listeners are all tramps in squalid conditions is typical. A similarly wry scene shows the Baptists in the river preaching forgiveness until they realise that their clothes have been stolen, then as a mob they go looking for vengeance....
Neither does Aldrich pulls punches with his depiction of how the railway workers view the tramps which is at best with contempt. Even the Cops are depicted as desperate victims of the times who will arrest a tramp, lock him away indefinitely, and pocket the two dollars a day that the government pays for the person's upkeep, instead of following statutory sentences and guidelines
The film is unflinchingly violent and the squeamish should probably look elsewhere.
The film was not a success in its cinema release but has since deservedly acquired a reputation as a cult movie. People who see it for the first time tend to be amazed by it and ask why they have not seen it before? Says it all really.
And yes I am in total agreement with other reviewers on here - RELEASE THIS FILM ON DVD!
A most plausibly and authentically presented railway film.
The actors chosen fitted the characters portrayed and they made the story come alive... Read more
famous within hobo circles for being able to ride any train - trying to
ride one guarded by... Read more
First watched this as a film while at sea,being a railway fan the shots of the steam locos in this film are really good,a good story... Read more
The setting and the characterisations are a great portrayal of the... Read more
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