Year: 1912
Director: Jean Durand
Country: France
Language: N/A
Director Jean Durand is a fairly forgotten figure in mainstream culture, but to silent film enthusiasts he is best known as the author of wacky comedies in pre-war France, particularly the Onésime series starring Ernest Bourbon. His films were full of stunts, animals and surreal humor. He did not seem to be the ideal candidate to direct a Western, but he managed to do well creating one. He didn't have rough desert landscapes to film in, but he did use the darkness of the French marshlands.
When gold is discovered the first man there gets to stake his claim. Joe and another man race each other, which involves a thrilling episode on a train.
Two years before William S. Hart made Westerns popular in the United States, Durand was creating his own potent blend of blood, guts and madness in the American west. We like to think that the genre belonged exclusively to the Italians and Americans, but pre WWI France was loaded to the gills with this type of entertainment. Railway of Death is rather riveting, perhaps moreso than any other silent Western I've seen.
With a run-time of only 15 minutes, this film goes at furious pace, never wasting a moment of film. Railway of Death is beautiful to look at and makes good use of silhouettes. It's rather innovative by the fact that there is no hero. We side with the typical main character, until he shows his dark side. This is pretty remarkable for 1912.
Though the French shooting locations are not as convincing as the deserts of the Americas, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enthralled by this unique picture that seems ahead of its time in terms of story and character development. Railway of Death is certainly a "must see" for those who are interested in film history.
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