source: Rome Express

Moviecut—Rome Express

It's been quite a while since I last watched a picture whose narrative developed at so deliberate and unbothered a pace. As passing close-up shots of various details emphasize the passage of time in the train's journey, we're slowly given more information about all the people traveling on it, and their motivations for doing so. A bit more than half the runtime has passed before the plot substantially advances, yet the glimpses we get of the characters keep us invested such that in all that time it never feels like the film is dragging. And from that point on, there's more than enough simmering tension and minor suspense to lock us in. It may not be the most immediately arresting of thrillers, but 'Rome Express' is gratifyingly solid. Scenes are filled with wonderful detail to enrich the quietly bristling scenario, and director Walter Forde does a fine job of ensuring it's all captured on camera. From terrific nuance in the cast's performances, to precise and increasingly revealing dialogue, to specific instances of shot composition, there's a great wealth of value rounding out every corner of the production. This includes the meticulous construction of the narrative, by which almost every character is gradually drawn in in ways demonstrating their real selves. It's very pleasing that unlike so many other mysteries and thrillers, there's no one figure here who possesses astounding intelligence and single-handedly arrives at the truth. Rather, just as the confluence of events produces a situation ripe for stimulating storytelling, the pieces all fall into place almost by happenstance, and the investigator - a side character, not a protagonist - is merely in a suitable position to collect them all. 'Rome Express' rather forgoes tropes and contrivances that define many of its genre brethren, and the result is a film that's somewhat understated, yet all the more satisfying for it. This is a title that makes no effort to leap out and grab our attention, instead letting the narrative speak for itself. This approach doesn't work for every feature, but here the final product is so sharp and rewarding that one scarcely even notices the near absence of an accompanying score. Completed with fine costume design, hair and makeup, lighting, cinematography, and other contributions from the crew, the writing is so excellent and tight as to outshine even the swell cast. Those looking for a mystery more in the vein of Agatha Christie, or a more robustly grabbing thriller, may not entirely find themselves at home here, yet I think the marvelous craft of the plot should be sufficient to satiate most any viewer. You don't necessarily need to go out of your way to see it, but if you have the chance to watch 'Rome Express,' these are 90 well deserving minutes.

You have to wonder whether Rome Express inspired Agatha Christie to write Murder on the Orient Express, which was published two years after the release of Walter Forde's influential murder-on-a-train movie. It's a well-worn scenario these days, but was brand new back in 1932, and Forde takes his time building up the tension. In fact, most of the first half of the movie is devoted to introducing us to a wide variety of characters, all of whom are in some way connected - or about to be connected - with the theft of a priceless painting. Conrad Veidt stands out amongst an accomplished cast.

It takes some time to get into this British thriller set on a train from Paris to Rome involving an art thief (the always fascinating Conrad Veidt) having a difficult time as he tries to go from one location to the other without being disturbed. But with the variety of eccentrics aboard the train, that is certainly an impossibility as they interrupt his every attempt for privacy. Veidt, who would go on to play some of the great Nazi villains during America's early days in World War II and of course the evil magician of "The Thief of Bagdhad", is deliciously sinister here, and is ably supported buy a fine cast of British character actors, the most well-known sir Cedric Hardwicke. Having basically only a few sets to work with, this could have been slow-moving and overly talkie, but the script fills every moment with action and character development and genuinely witty banter between people of different classes and personalities and temperaments. But for me, the fast-moving train is what makes this an exciting thriller, almost Hitchcock like in its nature. the sets are fantastic and the photography is riveting, using every single frame to show what is going on in the background in addition to what is going on in the forefront. There are extremely tense moments when violence occurs and of course it ends with the villain getting their comeuppance. But this is still a "Grand Hotel" like premise where no matter what happens on a train or a hotel or on a ship, business goes on irregardless of the fate of the people who were there in the certain length time that the movie took place in. Director Walter Forde deserves credit for turning this into a nice little sleeper even though it is doubtful that anybody could sleep on a train with such sinister things occurring.

"Rome Express" is a familiar sort of film...a murder mystery aboard a train going from Paris to Rome. And, like these sorts of films, there is a cast of many folks who are passengers on this journey. It all begins with the theft of a valuable Van Dyck painting. Someone aboard likely has the painting. However, the killings don't start until much later...when you realize that the man with the painting has cheated his partners and they will stop at NOTHING to get that painting. The best reason to watch this movie is to watch Conrad Veidt. This German actor is chilling and simply superb here as the baddest of the bad guys in the movie. Apart from that, there are a few decent performances here and there, though Gordon Harker's performance as a really annoying guy is perhaps too good! You can certainly see why the other folks aboard find him tiresome!! Overall, a very good film that is worth your time.

ROME EXPRESS is one of the earliest of all train-bound mystery thrillers and it's a little slow and creaky at times, although that's to be expected given that it was made back in 1932. A stolen Van Dyke painting is on board a train occupied by a motley group of strangers, and various parties are after it. The story is heavy on dialogue and light on action, but it picks up speed as it goes along and gets pretty good in the last half an hour. The cast is one of the most interesting things about it, as there is no one specific lead role. Hugh Williams is a decent young chap but up to his neck in it; familiar character actors like Cedric Hardwicke and Finlay Currie bolster the numbers. There are glamorous blonde film stars in the Mae West mould and a delightfully sinister turn from guest star Conrad Veidt. It's a light and forgettable kind of picture, but fun all the same.

Well-to-do people, all with their own secrets get aboard THE ROME EXPRESS, from a scenario by Sidney Gilliat. One of the issues of looking at a movie that is clearly the precursor to another, well regarded movie, is that it invites invidious comparisons. It's a phenomenon I call "the end of history" and it reflects our bias that everyone and everything that happened before us is just leading up to our own magnificence, while everything after us will be a severe let-down. This movie was not made as a trial run for Hitchcock's THE LADY VANISHES, despite Gilliat, producer Michael Balcon and the presence of several plot elements -- including a couple who are cheating on their spouses -- that were later used in the more famous movie. If anything, the later movie was probably conceived as a remake. Looking at this movie on its own merits, we can recognize it as a sparkling cast -- including Finlay Currie as an American, Cedric Hardwicke, Esther Ralson, Hugh Williams and the always brilliant Conrad Veidt as a mysterious threat. It is a skillful blending of comedy and thrills by director Walter Forde, who would return to the theme with 1941's THE MAIL TRAIN. Yes, Hitchcock and others would do it better; they had the model in this movie -- which is vastly entertaining on its own.

It's a reasonable guess that this went down well in 1932 when stories set on trains were in their infancy - Graham Greene had published Stamboul Train, Vicki Baum Grand Hotel and what better than Grand Hotel on wheels, a motley crew, all Human Life is aboard and Murder On The Orient Express, The Lady Vanishes and Train Of Events patiently waiting in the wings - or sidings as the case may be. The revelation to me was Finlay Currie as a fast-talking press agent complete with mid-Atlantic accent. Priceless. Conrad Veidt and Cedric Hardwicke represented the more durable names whilst most of the cast were destined to fall by the wayside. Some interesting camera angles by journeyman Walter Forde who, probably by pure coincidence, had directed the Ghost Train earlier. Definite novelty value.

Rome Express is a Gaumont British production which can be seen as a prototype for future thrillers than would be set entirely on trains. In particular it makes one think of Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes which is not too surprising since both films have the same screenwriter, Sidney Gilliat (who would later be director of Green for Danger and the excellent State Secret). Aside from the train setting, however, in which various passengers intermingle with one another, with crime and murder to be a part of the course of this trip, this film has, like the later Hitchcock film, a lightness in tone that adds to its pleasure. One seriously has to wonder, in fact, if the future Sir Alfred didn't see this film before he directed his own variation on it. As directed by Walter Forde, Rome Express moves with the same speed as the express train on which the story is set, the main plot involving a stolen Van Dyke painting hidden in a briefcase and two partners of the thief, one of them very deadly, indeed, in search of the now frightened man who decided to abscond with the painting on his own. The largely British cast is fine, including Joan Barry (a Hitchcock leading lady around this time in Rich and Strange) and, particularly effective, Donald Calthrop, whom Hitchcock buffs may recall as the blackmailer in Blackmail, Alfred's first talkie. In this film he's the man with the hidden Van Dyke. Cedric Hardwicke also scores very well here as a smug, penny pinching millionaire forever castigating his cowering manservant for some minor misdeed. Esther Ralston, a very attractive silent film star whose talkie career would never reach the same heights as her silent one, is quite winning in the role of a movie star on board the train who becomes accidentally mixed up with the art thieves. Saving the best for last is Conrad Veidt, in great form here, as the more sinister of the two art thieves searching for the passenger (Calthrop) who has the painting. Veidt brings an intelligence and polished flair to his performance. Ruthless as he is when he has a man cornered, he is also an elegant scoundrel who presents a smiling, affable facade to those around him. Veidt is highly effective in his role, both attractive and deadly as a cobra. If anyone in this film exudes star presence it is definitely the German actor probably best remembered today for his performance as Major Strasser in Casablanca. If you're into thrillers, particularly those set aboard trains, try seeking this film out. You should be more than satisfied.