Very well executed

As Good As It Gets

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

The film brings back many memories as I was a small child in Frankfort in 1946-47; my father was with the US Army, and worked in the I.G. Farben building. I remember riding the continuous elevators, and enjoying milk shakes in the restaurant. I recall having lunch many times with my mother in a restaurant across the street from the train station. Years later I would visit Frankfort many times enjoying great tasty burgers, sausages, and beer at the train station, and traveling out of there for other German and Swiss cities. I toured the I.G. Farben building and even found the house we called our home during those years.

"Berlin Express" (1948) is directed by Jacques Tourneur, who not only made the classic horror films "Cat People" (1942) and "I Walk with a Zombie" (1943), amongst others, under Val Lewton, he made the absolutely unbeatable film noir "Out of the Past" (1947). This semi-noir, his next after "Out of the Past", is nowhere as near as good, although it has its points of interest. It stars Robert Ryan, always good value, along with Merle Oberon and Paul Lukas.The screenplay was written by Curt Siodmak (an intriguing, if patchy, director in his own right) and Harold Medford and concerns a multinational group of train passengers (American, French, English and Russian) who become involved in a post-World War II Nazi assassination plot of a prominent peace activist.The photography by Lucien Ballard is very good and its trump card: the movie was shot on location in Berlin and Frankfurt-am-Main, so this is real post-war devastation you're seeing. In this, and a few other aspects (like Robert Ryan's character) this resembles the far superior "The Third Man" (1949). The main problem here is the script: it relies way too much on voice over narration to propel the film along and all the characters are stereotypes unimaginatively worked out. The direction is very stylish however, which makes the plot deficiencies somewhat more forgivable, even if Tourneur appears to be rather bored with plot mechanics. The acting isn't bad, but there isn't any great demands made on the cast and the standard is no better or worse than any other average Hollywood product of that period.So, no masterpiece, and in many respects, desperately so-so, but noir buffs, you won't need much prompting to take the plunge and watch it.

Post war Europe felt the hunger caused by the conflict in different ways. When a pigeon is shot near the Eiffel Tower, some children decide to give it a fitting burial by taking it home. One of the boys' mother, has a different idea figuring it would make do for her husband's dinner. Little did she realize the pigeon was carrying a coded message that will set things in motion in this account of life in that era.The Americans in France were sending a group of people to Berlin by train. It was a mixed crowd that included Dr. Bernhardt, an important man that was returning to Germany to present ideas for the new government there. Some of his fellow citizens did not want him to get to his destination as it is made clear with a murder attempt in the train, only the real man man was not killed. What follows is an adventure into uncharted territory that takes place among the ruins of Frankfurt and Berlin.Jacques Tourneur, a director with a talent for giving his films a view from another angle, worked successfully in Hollywood. "Berlin Express" came after his wonderful "Out of the Past". The story was based on a story by Curt Siodmak, the brother of Robert Siodmak, the film director, and a writer in his own right. The screenplay is credited to Harold Medford. Mr. Tourneur directed the thriller documentary style, as though to clarify things and put them in perspective for the audience. The narration tries to give the viewer a link to the turmoil of life after the war, especially a Germany in ruins. Lucien Ballard, a distinguished cinematographer was at hand to capture images that illustrates the horrors lived during the war.The cast includes Robert Ryan, Merle Oberon, Paul Lukas, Charles Korvin and Robert Coote. The film is worth a look by fans of Jacques Tourneur

There is nothing like a puzzling thriller on a rattly train, and there have been many successful ones including NARROW MARGIN (1952) and NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) . Prior to these and after the Hitchcock Brit ones of the 30s is this terrific Jacques Tourneur RKO surprise package BERLIN EXPRESS. Filmed in the rubble of German cities in 1946 this film, basically is a very good and constantly weaving espionage drama; and not unlike NORTH BY NORTHWEST in deception, missing persons, terrific set pieces in ruins and epic visuals of genuine locations. Robert Ryan as the US everyman, all casual but tough, Merle Oberon gives ze Fronnch occent a good go, and a solid cast enjoying a provocative script . I especially liked the Russian soldier Roman Toporov and his witty snarls. BERLIN EXPRESS also explores the unusual brief reality of Nazi resistance to the US victory over Germany, and offers some really intriguing plot devices (a clown in a cabaret) some identity swapping and a fantastic shootout in a ruined brewery. There are quite a few gasp-out-loud moments. Did Jacques Tourneur ever make a dud? I actually do not think so. The only annoyance to modern audiences are the obvious studio process shots where characters have dialogue before a projected background screen. I suggest you catch the BERLIN EXPRESS next time it is scheduled.