• Reviews

• All
• Music
• DVDs
• Live
• Cinema
• TV
• Books
• Comic Books
• Video Games

Nov 15, 2021 Web Exclusive By Austin Trunick

Sometime after the Civil War, a train carrying U.S. Army soldiers pulls up for a brief pit stop in a quiet railroad town. It’s bound for Fort Humboldt in Northern California, where there’s been an outbreak of diphtheria—in addition to the reinforcements, the train is also carrying many cases of medical supplies. While they wait for the engine’s water tank to be refilled, a U.S. Marshal (Ben Johnson) hitches a ride aboard the supposedly military-only transport, escorting a newly-captured fugitive named John Deakin (Charles Bronson) to stand trial at the fort. They join the Governor of Nevada (Richard Crenna) and his betrothed (Jill Ireland) as the only civilians aboard the fast-moving locomotive.

It’s not long into the two-day journey before things start going mysteriously wrong. First, there are unexplainable accidents. Then, people go missing. Bodies are uncovered. There’s more to the cargo than its drivers let on. It soon becomes clear that John Deakin isn’t a common criminal.

Breakheart Pass (1975) arrived in the middle of a very prolific period for its star, Charles Bronson, who appeared in eleven films from 1973 to 1977, including this and perhaps his best-known starring vehicle, Death Wish (1974). Adapted from a novel by Alistair MacLean by the author himself, it’s essentially a whodunit on a train—like an Agatha Christie Western, punctuated with some exciting action set pieces. One of these—depicted in the poster art—frequently involves Bronson wrestling with an adversary atop the speeding train; another involves several (real) train cars careening, in slow motion, down the side of a mountain. For a film with such an enclosed setting, it manages to make the action feel quite expansive. The film’s mystery unfolds quite well on screen; although the audience is made privy to certain knowledge before the heroes learn of it, where each character’s loyalties lay remains a question up to the gunshot-filled finale.

Kino Lorber’s special edition Blu-ray includes a new 2K master, which looks particularly nice in shots from the exterior of the train. There’s also a new commentary track, and a beautiful slipcover. If you’re a Bronson fan and still need an upgrade from DVD, this is the edition to grab.

(www.kinolorber.com/product/breakheart-pass-special-edition-blu-ray)