Six people travel by overnight train from Marseilles to Paris. When they arrive, one of them, a young woman, is found dead in a sleeping berth. The police, led by Inspector Grazzi, investigate the other five passengers, suspecting that one among them was responsible. However, as the investigation is stepped up, the others start turning up dead. It's up to the remaining two to solve the case, lest they become the next victims.
Direction
Costa-Gavras' debut crackles with nervous energy
Cinematography
Crammed train cars become suffocating geometric traps
Acting
Simone Signoret's brief, devastating final scene
Director
Costa-Gavras
Yves Montand
L'inspecteur Grazzi
Pierre Mondy
Le commissaire Tarquin
Jean-Louis Trintignant
Éric Grandin, étudiant vétérinaire
Jacques Perrin
Daniel
Catherine Allégret
Bambi
Simone Signoret
Eliane Darès, l'actrice éventée (Victime #4)
Claude Mann
Jean-Loup Gabert, inspecteur stagière de Grazzi
Michel Piccoli
René Cabourg, l'employé besogneux (Victime #2)
Pascale Roberts
Georgette Thomas, assassinée (Victime #1)
Charles Denner
Bob, l'amant sincère de Georgette Thomas
Nadine Alari
Mme Grazzi
Monique Chaumette
Mme Rivolani
Christian Marin
Le beau-frère de Georgette, mari soumis
Tanya Lopert
Mme Garaudy
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This launched Costa-Gavras' career and helped establish the political thriller as distinctly French — though here the politics simmer beneath pure suspense.
The real Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits refused filming permission, forcing the production to build replica sleeping cars from scratch.
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