(SPOILERS AHEAD!)
Directed by Francis D. Lyon, The Great Locomotive Chase tells the story of a Civil War raid of the same name wherein volunteers and soldiers from the Union stole a train from the Confederates with the Confederates pursuing chase. For their efforts, many of the Union soldiers involved would become among the first recipients of America’s highest military decoration, the Medal of Honor!
Fess Parker is the standout performance of the film, playing the leader of this outfit, James J. Andrews. He holds the film together as well as all the other characters. John Lupton, Jeff York, and Jeffrey Hunter give okay performances as well. The film is interesting enough to keep your attention to follow the locomotive chase which takes up the majority of the film. There is also an interesting dichotomy involving how differently soldiers and spies view things.
The music is interesting as we get to hear many songs that were popular during the Civil War period of America’s history. The last 15 minutes or so of the film take place when the Union soldiers have been taken prisoner. Many people find this part of the film dull, but I personally enjoyed seeing the aftermath of the “Great Locomotive Chase”.
So, my final score for this film is 24/35 = 68.57% (D+) !
The next review will be posted on January 6, 2025.
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