The Battle of the Rails

1946 1h 25m FR

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 48

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

During the Second World War, many French railway workers participated in the resistance. Daily acts of sabotage, spectacular derailments: the railway network took many actions against Nazi occupation. Stationmanager Camargue and his deputy, Athos, risk their lives in managing the network in their sector.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Charles Boyer
Narrator (voice)
Jean Clarieux
Lampin
Jean Daurand
Cheminot
François Joux
Cheminot
Tony Laurent
Camargue
Robert Le Ray
Chef de gare
Léon Pauléon
Chef de gare St-André
Michel Salina
Allemand

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: René Clément
Writers: Colette Audry, René Clément
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

80 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by René Clément, shot by Henri Alekan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Yves Baudrier. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jacques Desagneaux shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charles Boyer and Jean Clarieux and Jean Daurand carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0038334 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

René Clément directs. Henri Alekan behind the camera. Yves Baudrier scores. Jacques Desagneaux cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
280 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by René Clément, shot by Henri Alekan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Yves Baudrier. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Jacques Desagneaux shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Charles Boyer and Jean Clarieux and Jean Daurand carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0038334 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 48 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.