Runaway Train (1985)

	Directed by: Andrei Konchalovsky	COUNTRY USA/Israel GENRE Drama/Action/ Thriller NORWEGIAN TITLE Runaway Train RUNNING TIME 111 minutes
	Produced by: Yoram Globus Menahem Golan
	Written by (based on a screenplay by Akira Kurosawa): Edward Bunker Djordje Milicevic Paul Zindel

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Manny	Jon Voight	½
Buck	Eric Roberts
Sara	Rebecca De Mornay
Frank Barstow	Kyle T. Heffner	½
Warden Ranken	John P. Ryan	½
Dave Prince	T. K. Carter
Eddie MacDonald	Kenneth McMillan
Ruby	Stacey Pickren
Boxer	Danny Trejo
Jackson	Tommy 'Tiny' Lister

Review

In the 1980s, art was cold and detached. Here is the pinnacle of how these elements could enhance the expression, in contrast to several films in which the aloofness gave the films a sense of dehumanisation. In the timeless Runaway Train, director Andrei Konchalovsky utilises a seemingly dehumanised starting point (two convicts in a remote maximum-security prison) and makes their world and mentality – an alleged animalised existence – seem close and tangible. It's an allegoric film of existential proportions, given life by Konchalovsky's acrimonious images and Trevor Jones' suggestive score, but at the same time, Runaway Train is one of the most successful realisations of the action film model. Here, the action (notably in a remarkable finale) accentuates the larger and symbolic value of the story instead of standing in its way. And the power and timelessness of the story enable Runaway Train to endure the march of time, despite the odd contemporary slip-up. The performances are stylistic powerhouses, with Jon Voight giving arguably his final prominent role to date and Roberts hitting a career high (perhaps tied with It's My Party).