The Battle of the Rails (1946)
"La bataille du rail" (original title)

This movie is a story about French railroad workers who were part of organized resistance during the German WW2 occupation.

Director:

René Clément

Writers:

René Clément, Colette Audry (dialogue)

Stars:

Marcel Barnault, Jean Clarieux, Jean Daurand

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marcel Barnault	...	(as Barnault)
Jean Clarieux	...	Lampin (as Clarieux)
Jean Daurand	...	Cheminot (as Daurand)
Jacques Desagneaux	...	Athos (as Desagneaux)
François Joux	...	Cheminot (as Joux)
Pierre Latour	...	Cheminot (as Latour)
Tony Laurent	...	Camargue
Robert Le Ray	...	Chef de gare (as Leray)
Pierre Lozach	...	Cheminot (as Lozach)
Pierre Mindaist	...	Cheminot (as Mindaist)
Léon Pauléon	...	Chef de gare St-André (as Pauleon)
Fernand Rauzéna	...	Cheminot (as Rauzena)
Redon	...	Mecanicien
Michel Salina	...	Allemand (as Salina)
Max Woll

Storyline

This movie is a story about French railroad workers who were part of organized resistance during the German WW2 occupation.

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Plot Keywords:

resistance | crane the machine | switch board | railroad switch | derailment | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Official Sites:

distributor's official site Productor's official site

Country:

France

Language:

French German

Release Date:

27 February 1946 (France)

Also Known As:

The Battle of the Rails

Filming Locations:

Gare SNCF, Saint-Brieuc, Côtes-d'Armor, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Coopérative Générale du Cinéma Français, L.C.J. Editions & Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A huge success in its native France when it premiered in 1946, one year after liberation.

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Crazy Credits

(in cast) et Les cheminots de France

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Connections

Featured in La résistance (2008)

User Reviews

René Clement has shot one of the best films about trains and wars.

For cinema enthusiasts, it is important to learn that the value of trains in the field of cinema has always been justly understood by filmmakers as truthful portrayals of trains have been extremely useful in making films which have become extremely popular with critics as well as with viewers. It would be appropriate to state that most of the films about war have an air of authenticity due to the realistic depiction of trains in them. It would not be an exaggeration to state that war films are popular due to the portrayal of trains in them. La Bataille Du Rail/The Battle of the Rails is the best example of a war film with trains and their impact on war as its major plot. The success of this film is due to the efforts of ordinary railway workers in war time France who were quick to realize that the damage to railway system in occupied France would be a key weapon in their fight against Nazi Germany. Those who favor technology in cinema would be shocked to learn how professionally the massive annihilation of trains was carried out in "The Battle of the Rails" despite the evident lack of technology. In 1946, this film by René Clément won a jury prize at Cannes Film Festival. In recent times, La Bataille Du Rail/The Battle of the Rails has been hailed as one of the classics of world cinema as it was shown in "Cannes Classics" section during 63rd Cannes International Film Festival held in 2010. Hardcore cinema enthusiasts would be thrilled to learn that it has been fully restored by INA in France where it can also be watched on DVD as well as Blu Ray formats.