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Click above to purchase "Von Ryan's Express" at amazon.com
Von Ryan's Express
review by Anthony D.
Studio: Fox
Running Time: 117 minutes
Starring Frank Sinatra, Trevor Howard
Written by Wendell Mayes and Joseph Landon
Directed by Mark Robson
Retail Price: $24.98
Features: Theatrical Trailers
Specs: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, English Stereo,
English Mono, French Mono, English Subtitles, Spanish
Subtitles, Chapter Search
A highly original, and thoroughly engrossing World War II
drama comes our way thanks to 20th Century Fox Home
Entertainment. "Von Ryan's Express" is the action-oriented
tale of a rag-tag Italian prisoner of war camp's population
who hijack a German train following Italy's surrender to the
allies. Academy Award winner Frank Sinatra is cast as downed
American Colonel Joseph L. Ryan, whose presence in the camp
outranks the former British high-ranking officer, Major
Fineham, the ever enjoyable Trevor Howard. Once Ryan makes a
deal with his Italian captors, he is branded "von Ryan" by
the British inmates, who see his trade-off as
German-sympathetic. Once Italy is liberated, and the
prisoners left to their own devices, Ryan trusts the camp's
Italian Captain Oriani (Sergio Fantoni - looking like he
mistakenly wandered in from FOX's "How to Marry a
Millionaire"). To safely escort the p.o.w's on a freedom run
to the sea. The plans are thwarted when they are intercepted
by German forces, who load them onto the titular vehicle,
bound for a German prison camp. Once aboard, the inmates
take over the asylum, so to speak, killing the Nazi guards
and posing as high ranking German officers. With a real
German train hot on their trail, and many explosions along
the way, "Von Ryan's Express" takes a trek through Italy
that no tourists gets to see. The supporting cast is filled
with familiar faces as well: Italian character actor Vito
Scotti (whose credits are too numerous to mention) as the
train's engineer, future Bond villain Adolfo Celi
("Thunderball") as the treacherous camp commander, future
television ghost Edward Mulhare ("The Ghost and Mrs. Moore")
as a comic chaplain and future Mr. Barbra Streisand, James
Brolin in an under-written, merely eye-candy role.
"Von Ryan's Express" boasts a nearly pristine anamorphic
widescreen transfer, in its first appearance on dvd. A few
speckles show up in the opening sequences, but after that it
is clear sailing, or training, as the case may be. "Von
Ryan's Express" also has the high-gloss look of many of the
films of the early 1960's, which is to say, the film is
always lovely to look at, despite the grittiness of its
subject matter. Filmed in CinemaScope, "Von Ryan's Express'"
director Mark Robson makes full-use of the 2.35:1 framing,
this is definitely not a film to be seen panned and scanned.
Night scenes, though more often "day for night" sequences
acquire a minimal graininess, while process photography's
rear projection screens are far-too-obvious. Not rich in the
color spectrum, "Von Ryan's Express" retains its muted earth
tones for the prison sequences, and once train-bound relies
on various degrees of grey or brown. Clarity is outstanding,
with textures coming through, and Old Blue Eye's blue eyes
shimmering brightly. The Italian mountains and countryside
are beautifully rendered as well.
For its premiere in the digital format, Fox has enhanced
"Von Ryan's Express" with a newly mixed Dolby Stereo
soundtrack, though the original mono track has been
preserved in addition to a French mono soundtrack. The new
mix is pleasant enough, keeping the dialogue centered, and
allowing Jerry Goldsmith's non-martial score to occupy a
wider soundstage. Goldsmith has always been one of my
personal favorite composers, and his work on "Von Ryan's
Express" certainly does not disappoint. Here, Goldsmith's
score is high on percussion, occasionally ironic, and always
action-oriented. Post-production recording of dialogue is
present throughout, but never bothersome. The
Oscar-nominated Sound effects of gunfire and explosions are
quite well represented, but don't expect the realism of
"Saving Private Ryan" (oh, c'mon, this is the first and only
time I'll mention Colonel Ryan's cousin...) from those
effects.
The film's theatrical trailer is presented in all its
widescreen glory, with a sonorous narration, the trailer
plays up the final third of the film, the all-action
sequences of course. Also included under the "Fox Flix"
moniker are the trailers for Fox's other WWII epics: "The
Longest Day," "Patton," "The Sand Pebbles," "The Thin Red
Line" and "Tora! Tora! Tora!" successfully whetting one's
appetite to see those films.
Although I was familiar with many of Mark Robson's other
films (notably "Bedlam," "The Bridges at Toko-Ri," "The Inn
of the Sixth Happiness," "Peyton Place" and of course,
"Valley of the Dolls"), somehow "Von Ryan's Express" had
eluded me until now. I found its highly original story to be
quite engrossing, but could have done without the disposable
female, and the almost "Hogan's Heroes" attempt at humor
early on. It's nice to see that Fox took the effort to
remaster the soundtrack, and to present this library title
in an anamorphically enhanced presentation. Though it's not
a classic, the film is likely to gain a few more fans thanks
to FOX's better than average presentation.
Besides,"Braveheart's" men only "moon" through their kilts
to get their point across, the men of "Von Ryan's Express,
nearly four hundred of them, not only drop trou, but give
"the full monty" to prove their point, and there's nothing
like giving your all for your cause, now is there?
 (3.5/5 - NOT included in
final score)
 (3/5)
(3.5/5)
 (.5/5)
(3.5/5, NOT an average)
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