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NIGHT TRAIN TO MUNICH is a classic old 1940s b&w wartime propaganda film. With its gentleman spy and genius scientist (with beautiful daughter) McGuffin it's gloriously old fashioned. The plot sees a Czech scientist and his daughter captured by the Nazis just before the outbreak of war with Poland (which will drag in Britain and France, and mark the true beginnings of WWII) who put them on a train to Munich with a villainous Gestapo officer. Thankfully, also on board is a British gentleman-spy (the old dapper fool routine) with plans to get them off. To add a little comedy, there's also a pair of British travellers who become so appalled by the pushiness and rudeness of the Germans that they decide to join in. The use of matte paintings, models and trick photography might put off younger viewers but it's charming and effective. Similarly, most of the action scenes have the combination of purity and artificiality of so many early films, with a gunfight on a gondola moving between two mountain peaks being both particularly unreal and charming. The dialogue is fast and humorous, especially around the (sorta) love triangle. Altogether, an afternoon delight.
score /10
YohjiArmstrong 29 March 2015
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3210438/ |
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28-2-2021 00:06:19