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''Von Ryan's Express'' is a World War II adventure film, released in 1965, about a group of Allied prisoners who conduct a daring escape by hijacking a freight train and fleeing through German-occupied Italy to Switzerland. It stars Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard, and is based on the novel by David Westheimer. It was directed by Mark Robson. The film changes several aspects of the novel, most notably the ending, which is considerably more upbeat in the book. It became one of Frank Sinatra's most successful films. ==Plot== Colonel Joseph Ryan (Frank Sinatra) is a U.S. Army Air Corps pilot who is shot down over Italy. He is captured by Italian troops and taken to a POW camp, run by the cruel Blackshirt Major Basilio Battaglia (Adolfo Celi). The camp is mainly populated by British prisoners. The previous Allied commanding officer, who was British, has recently died, as a result of harsh camp discipline, including being placed in the metal "sweat box." When Ryan arrives in camp, Major Eric Fincham (Trevor Howard) is the Senior British officer. The American colonel, being senior to Fincham, assumes command of the prisoners. Ryan pays respect to his predecessor by refusing to sit in the late commanding officer's chair. When a U.S. prisoner (one of only eight) is about to be punished for stealing rations, Ryan discovers that he was stealing medicine, which Fincham had ordered be stashed for a future escape attempt. Ryan orders that the drugs be dispensed as necessary. Next, he shows the Italian guards the prisoners' escape tunnels, which are under construction. This infuriates the British prisoners. When Battaglia and his second-in-command, and Anglo-Italian translator, Captain Vittorio Oriani (Sergio Fantoni), do not keep their word to improve conditions, as agreed, Ryan orders the prisoners to strip and burn their filthy clothes, forcing Battaglia to issue new ones. Battaglia does so, but throws Ryan into the "sweat box" as a punishment. After hearing of the Italian capitulation to the Allies, the guards flee. The British promptly put Battaglia on trial as a war criminal, and allow Oriani to defend him. Battaglia portrays himself as a broken man who has repudiated fascism. Ryan orders him to not be executed but, instead, to be put in the "sweat box." The men depart on a long trek across the Italian countryside, before hiding in an ancient Roman ruin for the night. Oriani moves forward in an attempt to contact Allied forces. When morning comes, Germans swarm out of the forest and recapture the prisoners, killing several. Fincham is furious because he thinks Oriani has betrayed them. When the POWs are put on a train, they find a severely battered Oriani in the prisoner carriage. Battaglia is outside, gloating, and they realise they were betrayed to the Germans by the former camp commandant. The Nazis shoot all the sick prisoners, causing the irate Fincham to shout, "You'll get your Iron Cross now, ''von'' Ryan!" The train travels to Rome, where the men are allowed to eat and a German officer, Major von Klemment (Wolfgang Preiss), takes command of the train. Ryan discovers that the floorboards of the boxcar are loose and he pries a hole in the floor. That night, when the train stops to refuel, Ryan, Fincham and Fincham's Lieutenant, Franklin Orde, sneak out from underneath the train and kill several of the guards, taking their guns and helmets. They free a carload of the POWs who help them kill the remaining guards. Ryan and Fincham capture Major von Klemment and his Italian mistress, Gabriella (Raffaella Carrà). As the train moves out, another train appears behind them. Von Klemment reveals that the second train is carrying German troops and is on the same schedule. This will prevent their escape. Further, von Klemment is to receive orders at each railway station. A German-speaking Allied chaplain, Captain Gregory Costanzo (Edward Mulhare), is enlisted to impersonate the German commander to ensure their passage through the next station in Florence. Through the documents received in Florence, they realise that both trains are headed towards Innsbruck in Nazi- occupied Austria. Through trickery and a forged signature, the prisoners switch their train onto a different line at Bologna. The troop train continues on toward Innsbruck. Major von Klemment and Gabriella are kept tightly bound and gagged but Gabriella conceals a piece of a broken glass to cut their bonds. At a water stop, Major von Klemment and Gabriella escape, killing Orde. Both are shot dead by Ryan. By this time, ''SS'' troops, led by the determined Colonel Gortz (John Van Dreelen), have discovered the ruse. The prisoners put the train on a siding, but discover that it leads to a secret German facility. Shortly, the facility is bombed by Allied aircraft. The train races through the facility, bombs exploding everywhere, and several cars catch fire. A number of men are wounded. After the train moves again, the (Italian) engineer and Oriani disable the signals at one signal box, disabling the station's track displays and confusing the Germans. Following this, they re-route the train up to neutral Switzerland through manual switching without being noticed. Gortz boards a train, with troops, to pursue. As the Alps appear, the prisoner train is attacked by German aircraft. One manages to destroy a section of track at a key bridge. The POWs replace the damaged track as the ''SS'' race up from behind. Ryan, Fincham, Sgt. Bostick (Brad Dexter) and others hold off the German soldiers, but many are killed in the process. The prisoner train moves out, with the defenders running to jump onboard. Fincham makes it and desperately reaches back for Ryan, with the Germans in pursuit. Ryan is shot and killed by Gortz just as the train crosses into Switzerland. The film ends with a voice-over by Fincham, repeating his early comment to Ryan, ''"If only one gets out, it's a victory."'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Von Ryan's Express」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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