Reviewed by James Whittington
Stars Claude Reins, Marius Goring, Märta Torèn, Ferdy Maine, Herbert Lom, Felix Aylmer,
Eric Pohlmann, Lucie Mannheim, Joan St Clair | Written by Harold French, from the novel by Georges Simenon
UK certification U | RRP UK £17.99 | DVD region 2 | Runtime 77 minutes | Directed by Harold French
It’s been a while since this movie got an airing, but The Man Who Watched Trains Go By is a thrilling little melodrama from 1953 all about sinful infatuation and greed and is as welcome now as it was more than 50 years ago. A worthy, mild mannered bookkeeper named Popinga discovers that his boss at a Dutch company has stolen its money due to being infatuated with a Parisian “good time girl”. Then the police turn up to investigate laundered money and the plot takes a murderous turn.
Claude Reins excels as mild mannered Kees Popinga, a man whose only fault is that he’s possesses civilized manners in a world that is slowly rotting. His transformation into a lying cheat during the course of the movie is quite believable and honest and although his little quirks become slightly wearing at times, Reins delivers a thoughtful and whole-hearted performance. Popinga’s accidental emancipation from the humdrum life he had become accustomed is well directed by Harold French, and handled with some delicate care. Herbert Lom as crooked boss De Kosta gives a fully-fleshed performance, years away from the tat he had to endure in his later years of acting. He schemes and seethes his way through the sharp plot and although his screen time is limited to an elongated cameo he’s quite magnificent. Credit also must go to Märta Torèn who plays Michele Rozier, the vamp at the core of the all this infatuation. Her smouldering eyes and perfect shape is enough to make any hot-blooded male do his boss over and run away to Paris. It’s the depth that each actor gives to their respected characters that stops this from being just another 1950s potboiler.
Younger viewers may be put off this movie due to its rather colourful Technicolor print which is over saturated and dates it considerably. Not a fault of the transfer as this is how it was shot. The foreign locations are used to full effect to help emphasise the sense of release and freedom Popinga experiences. Add to this a cracker of an ending and you have the perfect Sunday afternoon thriller.
EXTRAS The extras package is limited to only a couple of trailers for forthcoming DVD releases, so unless you’re desperate to know what’s on Metrodome’s slate then there’s nothing for you here.