L'Express du colonel Von Ryan

The Brits provide pride and stubbornness, while the American colonel brings inventiveness and courage. This POW train to Switzerland knows how to get a green light on the signals. Sometimes, humor perfectly blends with tension (the vicar demonstrates how clothes make the man), while at other times it stumbles (the fire department's "Cretino" intervention in the camp), but overall, it's a solid adventure that systematically builds up to the alpine (actually Andalusian) finale. By the way, the poster of Ryan chasing the train perfectly spoils the last moments of the film. I admit that after how he dealt with the Nazi mattress for officers, I didn’t trust him much anymore. (04/02/2021)

The whole film is excellent, but in my eyes it's a classic of its genre mainly because of the fabulous alpine finale. (05/07/2010)

Honestly, I had no idea a bon vivant like Frank Sinatra starred in a war film back in the Hollywood days. Yet here he is, playing US Air Force Colonel Joseph Ryan. For its time, this is an absolutely fantastic war movie, though it's very much a product of its era. You get a solid story, great atmosphere, and occasionally some slapstick moments that turn the film into a bit of a farce. Personally, I think that humor doesn’t quite fit into war movies, but it made sense back then. The last half hour, however, offers an epic finale. This is a must-watch for any fan of war films. (14/02/2023)