Czlowiek na torze ( aka Man on the Tracks) (1957) Commie Railroad Noir

"Rails, Steam, and Noir!"

If you are an Aficio-Noir-do or a Noirsista who is also a rail fan you'll know there are only a few really great Railroad Noirs produced by Hollywood. The ones that come to mind are The Narrow Margin, Human Desire, and The Tall Target.

The first is the story of a detective trying to transport a government witness to Los Angeles by train. The Narrow Margin was pretty much shot in the studio with second unit footage providing the railroad action.

Human Desire deals with an railroad engineer who falls for the wife of a railroad section supervisor. it's most exciting footage is the cab view from a RI Alco FA-1 diesel running down a main line the Rock Island Railroad in El Reno, Oklahoma. Human Desire is a remake of French Noir La Bete Humaine which has a beautifully filmed opening sequence of a steam locomotive at speed taking on water from a track pan.

The Tall Target is another train journey film where a private detective is after the would be assassins of the president elect. This film, a period piece, has some great stylistic cinematography.

Various other Noir have much shorter railroad sequences and others have subways and els as part of their narratives, the railroad ones that stick in my mind are Grand Central Murder, Berlin Express, Dead Reckoning, Union Station, Shadow of a Doubt, Appointment with Danger, Crack-Up, and Transitional Noir Blast Of Silence. British Noirs For Them That Trespass, and Terror on a Train.

Man on the Tracks was directed Andrzej Munk (Eroica (1958)). The film was written by Andrzej Munk and Jerzy Stefan Stawinski and based on Jerzy Stefan Stawinski's story.

Locomotive Engineer Władysław Orzechowski (Kazimierz Opaliński )

Man on the Tracks is the story of a railroad man, a renowned engineer, Orzechowski, think of a Polish Casey Jones. Orzechowski is a respected professional of the old school. He started working as an engineer in 1914. He wears a uniform with silver buttons. He runs his locomotive like a little Hitler, and he has "the mustache" to enforce that Führer visual. He treats his crew as if they were his servants. When Poland ends up behind the iron curtain after WWII, the new plans and socialist  reforms required to be implemented by the railroad begins to irritate Orzechowski. The state wanted to implement coal efficiency with inferior coal, require longer runs, and to limit repairs to cut corners. Using substandard coal requires the railroad to burn more of it to achieve the same results.

Orzechowski and Tuszka (Zygmunt Maciejewski)

Orzechowski begins to be a burr in the side of the Stationmaster Tuszka refusing to conform to the new reforms. Tuszka by the way, actually started out as a fireman working as one of Orzechowski's crew member. Things deteriorate enough that eventually Tuszka forcefully retires Orzechowski and gives his beloved locomotive to his fireman, Stanislaw Zapora.

Stanisław Zapora (Zygmunt Maciejewski)

The film stars Kazimierz Opaliński as Władysław Orzechowski, Zygmunt Maciejewski as Tuszka,
Zygmunt Zintel as Witold Sałata, Zygmunt Listkiewicz as Stanisław Zapora, Roman Kłosowski as Marek Nowak, Janusz Bylczyński as Warda, member of the committee, Józef Para as railwayman
Natalia Szymańska as wife of Orzechowski, Józef Nowak as helper of Orzechowski, Janusz Paluszkiewicz as Krokus, a mechanic, Leon Niemczyk as man on the platform, Stanisław Jaworski as Franek, a friend of Orzechowski.

The story begins on a night in 1950. Orzechowski's locomotive run by Zapora is highballing down the main line, pulling an express passenger train.

Both Zapora and his fireman see a signal up ahead that falsely indicates that the tracks up ahead are clear. However, one of the semaphore's lights are burned out.

The Semaphore

As the train approaches the semaphore they spot a man standing on the tracks with his hand outstretched they hit the brakes but it's too late.

WTF?

Zapora and the train crew run back to the site of the accident and find Orzechowski is the dead man.

Of course, the railway begins an investigation. They discover one of the signal's kerosene lights was removed. At first, the assumption among the railway officials and Tuszka is that Orzechowski was disgruntled after being fired and was purposely trying to sabotage the express, but as further testimony is heard a different explanation emerges.

The story, at this point is now told in flashbacks as Stationmaster Tuszka begins his recollections of Orzechowski. Those at the inquiry of Orzechowski learn of his dedication to his locomotive and to his timetable schedules. Zapora's testimony is next.

Zapora's testimony is next.

He tells them that Orzechowski was meticulous, dedicated, proud, hard-nosed and almost a slave driver. It's revealed that Orzechowski was probably harsh towards his colleagues because they were being promoted too quickly. Orzechowski himself had to work as an apprentice for twelve years.

His slave like treatment of his crew stems probably from his back problems that he is trying to hide. Orzechowski cannot bend down to simply retrieve his fallen cap.

The last testimony is from the signal man Witold Salata (Zygmunt Zintel) who was the last person to see Orzechowski.

Witold Salata (Zygmunt Zintel)

Noirsville

Railroad Workers meeting slogan says -  "We work up railroad production plans with workers cooperation"

The film functions as a mystery as the railroad official try to figure out the facts. The film also is a fascinating study of life and social changes behind the iron curtain, along with being a nice eye opener into the lives of railway workers and their important and very specific functions. The films flashback structure will remind you of Rashomon, its American remake The Outrage, Citizen Kane, and many, many Classic Film Noir.

Location shooting was at Warszawa Wschodnia Station, Praga Pólnoc, Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland

All of the actors performances are excellent, This film has been called one of the most influential films of Polish Cinema. A masterpiece 10/10