Night Train Murders

To be honest, I only rented this for a few reasons: it's Italian, it's mostly set on a train, and the music was done by Ennio Morricone. I was expecting a Terror Train like Italian, horror film, but I got something different. Basically it borrows heavily from Wes Craven's brutally unwatchable, The Last House on the Left (which, in turn, borrowed heavily from Bergman's great, The Virgin Spring). However, director, Aldo Lado claims he hadn't seen Craven's film, the producer had and wanted something structurally similar. It's less brutal than it's American companion, though equally effective. It's a film about violence and revenge, and by the end, had me yearning for some display of compassion (which is a good thing). Lado isn't as stylized as Argento, nor as atmospheric as Bava, nor as gory as Fulci, but there is an honesty and a kind of artistry to be found in his film. Morricone sparsely used score is effective, and the opening credits is one of the most unusual sequences you're likely to find in a "horror" film (though horrifying, it's not really a horror film -- more of a thriller). Watching this, however, makes me want to remake the story yet again, only end it with a display of forgiveness and grace.