Periodically, I have a desire to watch old Soviet or American films. They have something naive and intelligent that I get nostalgia. The quality of the picture, the shooting and the acting of the actors sometimes leaves much to be desired, but this raid of old times defeats all the negative aspects.
Grant McLaine (James Stewart) earns money by playing the accordion after he lost his job. He used to be a guard on the railway that was being built.
However, McLaine is invited to work again. He is instructed to transport $ 10,000, salaries of workers, cause the last 3 times a train with a wage robbed by a Whitey gang.
"Night Passage" is James Nilsson debut film. Prior to it, he shot the TV series and began to work on "Night Passage" only after Anthony Mann's refusal. Mann did not like the weak scenario. And in fact, it is not the best western I've seen. The script is extremely simple, and chatter is more than scenes chase, fights and gunfights. Grant McLaine answers for the intrigue. The spectator is asking the whole movie whether this character is positive or not? Will he steal these 10,000 dollars or not?
However, I am attracted by this slowness of the narrative to the accompaniment of wonderful music of Dimitri Tiomkin (22-time nominee for the Academy awards) and the unpretentious chorus of the song "Follow the River" sounds in my head a few days after watching the film.
Follow the river,
The river knows the way.
Come to me, I pray,
I miss you more each day.
I can not recommend this movie to fans of classic westerns, after all, "Night Passage" is different in spirit. There are a lot of philosophical conversations "about life" and almost nothing happens. James Stewart replayed other actors. His wise blue eyes look at the bandits, the spectator expects a scuffle, but in 90% of cases, nothing happens. But the film attracts an unusual atmosphere, subtle sarcasm and soul music.
"Night Passage" was filmed using a system Technirama. This process enabled the operator William H. Daniels to make the blue skies clearer and brighten the gloomy autumn weather. Scenes with the railway were filmed in Durango, Colorado. The K-28 steam locomotive of Class No. 476, on which "Night Passage" was filmed, is still working. But now it is on service.
Very interesting, but do you think that these conversations about life try to pass some message in this movie?
Probably the first place is the relationship between two brothers and then where their life started. The first one got off the right road and became a bandit. The second one also had such a choice, but he managed to become the right person for whom honor is above all else.
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