Movie Review: Night Train to Munich (1940)

Night Train to Munich (1940) directed by Carol Reed

Dr. Axel Bomasch (James Harcourt), a scientist working on armor plating, has to flee Czechoslovakia when the Nazis invade in 1939. He manages to escape but his daughter Anna (Margaret Lockwood) is captured and sent to a concentration camp. One of the other prisoners (Paul Henried) helps her escape all the way to England where Anna has to find her father somehow. She puts an ad in the Times and gets an anonymous call directing her to a sea-side town and a mysterious contact named Gus Bennett (Rex Harrison). He turns out to be a British spy and does reconnect father and daughter. The reunion is bittersweet as they are recaptured by the Nazis and taken back to Germany. Bennett volunteers to get them back from Germany before the Nazis get any information from Dr. Bomasch.

The plot moves along at a quick pace with lots of surprises and twists, without being ridiculous (I'm looking at your plots, James Bond). The acting is great--even minor characters shine in their limited roles. Reed films and edits with a lot of precision, keeping in important details and giving the bigger picture into which this more personal story fits. The comedy (of which there is quite a bit) fits naturally with the characters and the story line. The big chase at the end is an enjoyable blend of smart decisions and realistic action. The movie works well as a spy thriller and a World War II movie.

Highly recommended.