Opening with infinite possibilities, today’s feature could have been a prison set boxing movie, a searing drama about the conditions in an Alaskan jail, or simply a prison break narrative, but instead, it becomes. . . Runaway Train (1985).
A movie that has become a bit forgotten over time (after its initial disappointment at the box office), director Andrei Konchalovsky’s action thriller follows a rough around the edges bank robber, Manny (Jon Voight) – who has attempted to break out of Stonehaven Maximum Security Prison in Alaska several times. A sort of hero figure amongst the rowdy inmates, the obsessive Warden, Ranken (John P. Ryan), has locked him away in solitary confinement for a most punishing three years.
Finally forced to reintroduce him into the regular prison population, Manny soon recruits motor mouth boxer Buck (Eric Roberts) – who is in charge of the laundry route, to help him with his long planned out escape (in the freezing cold middle of the Alaskan winter no less). Going off without a hitch, it does not take long for Buck to also heed the call of freedom. . . quickly following his rather poor role model into the sewers.
Taking a most unexpected turn, the pair board what they soon discover is a runaway train. With the railroad engineer not on the train, the brakes damaged, and the tracks and bridges ahead in a precarious state, it doesn’t look good for the escaped convicts. . . even after a lowly locomotive employee, Sara (Rebecca De Mornay), is discovered on the train with them – their only hope: to get to the nearly impossible to reach lead engine and shut it off.
Further enlivening the already dangerous situation, Warden Ranken, who gets all of his kicks from Manny, is hot on his trail. . . and won’t let anything get between him and his favourite prisoner. Will Manny and Buck be able to help Sara stop the out of control train before it gets to the many dangerous crossings? While doing so, can the pair also evade the ever persistent Warden?
Filmed with impressive accuracy, the scenes were actually shot on moving trains in the snowy frigid temperatures of Alaska. Using unique camera angles to capture the edges and head of the train, Konchalovsky’s goal was to make it look more like a documentary than a prototypical film. . . making everything all the more realistic. Shooting with three cameras at the same time (as time was at a premium – they had to work around the actual trains using the tracks), it really is a feat of ingenuity to make everything look this good.
Despite this film’s lack of viewership, it was the inspiration for a much bigger box office success to come. . . 1994’s Speed. This whole tale also has a Canadian connection, as famed Canadian television host Elwy Yost told his screenwriter son Graham Yost about the wild premise – it eventually inspiring him to twist the idea into a runaway bus that can’t slow down due to a bomb on board. Also keep an eye open for Danny Trejo as another boxer in the prison – his first ever movie role, and Dennis Franz – as a blink and you’ll miss him cop.
Another intriguing backstory finds Japanese filmmaking legend Akira Kurosawa actually writing a screenplay for this back in the 1960s – the whole thing getting canned due to the wild snowstorms in upstate New York where they were planning on filming the movie (which is where the runaway train incident actually occurred – the nugget of truth this script is based off of). Just for a little more fun trivia – Kurosawa had planned on having Lee Marvin and Henry Fonda as the two leads.
A picture worth rediscovering, despite its lack of box office bite, Runaway Train did have some success during the awards circuit – earning three Academy Award nominations for Editing, Lead Actor, and Supporting Actor, as well as a Golden Globe win for Voight. Featuring some stunning visuals, great performances from its two leads, and a fabulous finale, there’s plenty to like in this one. So, before the train leaves the station, cuff yourself to this runaway action thriller and enjoy the ride.