Something about trains had captured the imagination of artists from the moment that locomotives were invented. Whether relaxing in a private cabin, squashed amongst strangers on a rickety railway, or planning the perfect horseback robbery with one's western posse, trains lend themselves to all kinds of stories.
From the earliest black and white films to new movies benefiting from the most cutting-edge CGI, there's a train movie for every taste. The ability to stage an entire story in one place, keeping the interior static while the exterior flits by, may not be unique to trains, but train films are some of the best to reap the rewards of this ability. Here are some of the best train films of all time.
8 The Train
1964's The Train tells the story of the French Resistance to the Nazis during World War II. The protagonist's goal is to stop the Nazis from using a train to transport priceless art to Germany. One of the film's greatest strengths is the performance of the German officer in charge of the train, ruthlessly cutting down anyone who would disrupt his goal.
The Resistance only has to delay the train for a few days since the war is coming to an end and Paris's liberation is fast approaching, but that won't be an easy task. The black and white aesthetic enhances the sense of gritty desperation throughout the piece, making The Train one not to miss.
7 Transsiberian
Roy (Woody Harrelson) and Jessie (Emily Mortimer) are a couple who take a train from China to Russia, meeting another couple who turn out to be keeping an important secret. What should have been a pleasant trip for Roy and Jessie quickly goes sour.
The trip remains sweet for audiences, however, because Transsiberian is a thoroughly enjoyable movie. With a plot that's at times as tense and bleak as the wintry environment through which the train barrels,Transsiberian is a surprising and powerful piece, though viewers will likely be too busy worrying about the fate of the film's stars to pay much attention to the train itself.
6 The Darjeeling Limited
Even by the high standard set by other auteur directors, Wes Anderson's artistic vision is unique. His films often feel like dioramas, the characters like vibrantly colored paper dolls. There's a fairytale-like childishness to his highly quotable work, and it's on full display in The Darjeeling Limited.
Three brothers board a train in India, reconnecting with one another and rediscovering themselves on the journey. Though it did not meet with the same acclaim and recognition as much of his other world, The Darjeeling Limited is no less effective a piece.
5 The Polar Express
The Polar Express is best remembered for its elaborately choreographed, totally captivating, completely unnecessary song and dance about hot chocolate. Despite the memes and parodies, however, this animated film has much more to offer than a single song.
There's something uncanny about the animation in The Polar Express. What the film does best is capture the tone of the winter wonderland it depicts. Director Robert Zemeckis knows exactly how to handle the dreamlike journey of a boy on a mysterious train to the North Pole. It doesn't hurt that Tom Hanks plays the Conductor, bringing a level of life and enthusiasm to the role that few other actors could hope to match.
4 3:10 To Yuma
The original 3:10 to Yuma from 1957 is a Western classic, so it's surprising that the 2007 remake is even better. Based on a short story by Elmore Leonard, the 2007 version stars Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Peter Fonda, and a number of other notable actors.
While there's much to recommend the original film, the remake is arguably better in acting as well as cinematography, having had the benefit of 50 years to think about the best way to reimagine each scene. The film is faster and more cynical than the original, but in its own way it's a fitting testament to Elmore Leonard's writing, and it's an excellent Western train film regardless.
3 The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three received a remake in 2009, but the 1974 original remains the stronger version. Joseph Sargent's crime drama stars Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, and Martain Balsam, and Matthau's Lieutenant Zack Garber is the standout star.
A group of men hijacks a commuter train full of hostages and demands the city pay a ransom for their release. Despite being set exclusively on a train for most of its characters, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three manages to character the spirit of '70s New York, making the city as much of a character as the Lieutenant or the hijackers. The script isn't without its flaws, but the film is so well executed it doesn't matter.
2 Murder On The Orient Express
Hercules Poirot is a sleuth so legendary that only one other, Sherlock Holmes, competes with him for the title of greatest detective in literature. 1974's Murder on the Orient Express is based on the Agatha Christie novel of the same name. A murder is committed on the titular train, leaving Poirot the job of working his way through an extensive web of possible witnesses and culprits amongst the passengers in order to find the killer.
Watching the return of a classic character is enough in itself to justice a viewing. As deliberately crafted a mystery as there has ever been, Murder on the Orient Express makes better use of its train setting than virtually any other film.
1 Strangers On A Train (1974)
Public transportation is ripe with dramatic potential because it forces strangers to share a space, bringing people into the lives of those they might otherwise never have met. This is precisely the setup of Alfred Hitchcock's psychological thriller Strangers on a Train. Guy is an amateur tennis player who wants to divorce his wife. Bruno is a disturbed man who wants to kill his father.
When the two men meet by chance, Bruno suggests that each kills the person that the other wants dead, thus accomplishing both their goals while allowing them to remain above suspicion. As with any Hitchcock film, the dramatic tension is ratcheted up to an almost impossible degree, making Strangers on a Train the greatest train film of all time.