Runaway Train (1985)

Dir: Andrey Konchalovskiy

Starring: Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of action movies, but lately (“lately” as in for the last 10 years) overproduction has taken over and very little innovation as occurred. So it’s hard to come by with an action classic that can overcome the benchmark that is “Die Hard” (1988), which would actually be described by a former teacher of mine as “an action movie with panache”.

Anyways, “Runaway Train” carries a concept diametrically opposed to your typical action movie.

Plot: Two escaped convicts from a prison in Alaska attempt make their way into freedom by entering an out-of-control freight train. With the local authorities in pursuit, both convicts find themselves trapped in a vehicle that is both their salvation and also their death.

“The truth and nothing but the truth”: After browsing around the plot, the viewer will think: “Been there, done that, paid $10 to see “Unstoppable” (2010) and felt ripped off”. Having not seen the aforementioned movie (but read a bit about it), I won’t be able to draw comparisons between the two, but I felt it was a similar concept movie to which readers who have failed yet to watch “Runaway Train” can set their expectations upon.

For starters, the movie is based under a script penned by Akira Kurosawa, the master behind “Seven Samurai” (1954) and “Ran” (1985). How many action scripts have actually been created by one of the best directors and storytellers of all the time? Well, “The Fast and Furious Part 6: More Fuel, Sucka!” is still under wraps so we still may be surprised and find Paul Thomas Anderson delievering the script.

While the opening sequences at the prison have de rigeur scenes  played out a million times before , they are extremely effective in introducing Manny (Voight) and pointing out the motivation of a complex character unlike nothing he had played out before or since. Not being a Jon Voight fan (and basing my judgement on “Deliverance” (1972), “Coming Home” (1978) and “Ali” (2001)), I do feel that in this role he deserved his Academy Award nomination and his Golden Globe win.

The two prisioners and the crew member (De Mornay) are locked into a runaway vehicle, and while feeling trapped and powerless inside the train, they realize that what they hoped that would be there waiting for them at the end of the line isn’t the desired redemption but a continuance of what they felt at jail and now within the train. Manny and Buck’s dialogue about what the limited options they have in life is simple groundbreaking.

The police follows in pursuit with the prison’s warden following his very own personal vendetta against Manny. While this pursuit pales in comparison with the one’s witnessed in, say “The Fugitive” (1993), the storyline isn’t hurt by it, as that is not the main focus of the movie, and the existing sequences are very well directed.

Finally, we have the backdrop story of the railway controllers whose main goal is to keep the vehicle going and reaching a final and safe destination. Not much is added from this storyline that hasn’t been seen in a row of movies from “Cassandra’s Crossing ” (1976) to “Speed” (1994).

The action is non-stop, from the prison break early in the movie to the train sequences, all set under the Alaskan wintery backdrop with an outstanding cinematography as well as premium stunt action.  Moreover, Trevor Jones delivers a good soundtrack more synth-sound oriented, an 80’s must, and far from his superior work heard in Sylvester Stallone’s “Cliffhanger” (1993). The ending scene is simply breathtaking and it’s simply sad that the director couldn’t replicate his craft throughout his following movies.

“Money-Shot”: One of the many attempts to stop the train that drives Buck (Roberts) out of the train while attempting to jump from one train wagon to the next under strong adverse weather conditions. Suspense at its best

Bottom-Line: 8/10. Since “Sorcerer” (1977), one of my all time favorite movies, haven’t I seen such combination of action and storytelling. Of course, I do not recommend this movie to everyone, especially all of those action movie aficcionados who felt that “The Killer Elite” (2011) was robbed from the Oscars. Still any fan of “Die Hard” should give this one a try….~

But of course, this is just my opinion, I could be wrong…