Ranken vs Manny: Runaway Train Analysis & Review

In my opinion, there's more to this film than most see. One of the best action films of the 80s, featuring a career-topping performance by Jon Voight and a great supporting cast. Ripped from my laserdisc.
#RunawayTrain #MovieReview #RosettaReviews

[@stephenmarsh8269]

Thank you all for appreciating this picture. It was a lot of hard, cold work! Stephen Marsh, production designer.

[@Sklabah]

Really? I just watched this movie today, for the first time. It has been on my list for a long time, but I knew I needed to savor it. I wasn't wrong. What a beautiful, brilliant, terrifying and awesome film. Thanks for your work.

[@rosettareviews6531]

Thanks for making it! One of my all time favorites.

[@StuartRyan-yi5ok]

Well Stephen, I would have to reiterate this video and say that it is criminally underated. It is one of the best action flicks ever made.

[@mindbomb2000]

No, thank YOU! The production design is amazing. You created a world that completely engrossed me and helped the film become the favourite, and most influential of my life. Jaws was the film that made me dive into how films are made and Runaway Train is the film that made me realise how an "action film" can be so much more (I actually see Runaway Train as a character study and drama). Just like this film is under appreciated, the work of production designers is as well. I had the good fortune to work with David Wasco on Pulp Fiction and several other films as a graphic designer, and saw first hand, what goes into a production designer's work. Bravo.

[@retroelectrical]

The best scene in the film, and probably of all time is when Manny is smashing the train front window out and yells out: We all die alone. Come on, Ranken! Here I am! I'm out of my cage now! I'm never going back. You'll never stop me! Never! I'm out. You hear me? You can't get across, Manny. I'm out of my cage. You'll never stop me. You're gonna learn, kid. It's all up here. I'll cross the stinking thing. Watch me. That pause Manny does right before he tells Buck, "You're going to learn kid" gets me every time. There's also another cathartic moment when Manny tells Rankin, "Win, lose, what's the difference?" and Rankin knows he's been beat, but ALSO has a bit of humanity come out when he leans forward and asks Manny, "What about that punk and the girl?: Rankin is not asking out of desperation, or to save his own life. He understood that he was beaten, and that both men were going to die and was asking what are WE to do about them, as this is between US. A much lesser writer and director would have spelled out this cathartic moment, but it is absolutely perfect.

[@rosettareviews6531]

Yes! The moments between Manny and Rankin are brilliant, subtle but entertaining on their face. I'm very happy to see I'm not the only person who feels this way.

[@aarteestmj4958]

But his answer is the BEST part; Rankin: “What about the punk and the girl….”? Manny: “I don’t know,…….it’s just you and me…”

[@na2305]

Good review. One of my all time favorite movies. Best scene is the low camera shot of the front of train right before the old man engineer gets it moving. The deep bass in this scene gives the train an evil presence.

[@lehah4333]

The pure, unadulterated rage from Voight is both terrifying and intoxicating. Everything he says is a deeper truth to life, unfortunately diluted as it’s the right lesson from the wrong teacher.

[@aarteestmj4958]

But it was the “right” teacher. Because in prison, the only way to have someone learn from you, is if they first respect you. And by that, meaning have actually gone through it personally, and then have the “right” to talk about something. Not that Erie Roberts’ character had much of a future, but as a viewer, I got the messages. Make sense? (Rebecca’s character will certainly never forget that day!)

[@mindbomb2000]

Amazing review. Thank you. I love deep dives into films like this. I see this film as a struggle of man fighting against his own nature. Manny knows what he is, and it's not an "animal." An animal does what it does for survival without any self-awareness of how it could affect others. Manny does what he does for survival knowing that he is impacting others in a negative way, but does it anyway. The film questions if "humanity" is worse than being an animal. Lady Anne: No beast so fierce but knows some touch of pity. Richard: But I know none, and therefore am no beast. So in essence, Manny isn't an animal or a beast. He worse: . The reason why Manny feels that he is "free," at the end is that he finally realised what he is. Not an animal, nor a beast, but...Human, and as a human he had choices but ignored them for his self-preservation. And in his last act as a human he saves Buck and Sara. The film is, to me, a reminder that I am human, I know harm, and I have a choice.

[@warthog5562]

Underated is an understatement! What an amazing piece of cinema. One of my all time favorites. Rankin and Manny are chilling. Eric Roberts nails the juvenile, pathetic wannabe. "God, don't kill them. Let me do it." What a great line.

[@johnmackey6523]

It keeps getting better every time I watch it. eric roberts can act with just his eyes!

[@PhoenixT1953]

I cant believe this video has so little views, awesome quality work!

[@pendremacherald6758]

As awesome as Manny and Ranken are, neither are my favorite characters. Here is my list of my favorite characters 1. Buck 2. Barstow 3. Sara 4. Dave Prince 5. Manny 6. Ranken. The reason I think Buck is the best character is his development. He starts by giving into his inhibitions, and he grows beyond that. He tried to force himself on Sara when he met her. At the end, Buck defends Sara from Manny, and he tried to protect and comfort her when they both think their death is imminent. Now, Buck is probably going back to prison, but when he gets out, I think he has a good life ahead of him. It may be a tough life, but it will be a life that is built off of respect of other people. In regards to Barstow, I think he is a good example of what Buck could become. Barstow’s ultimate motive is the sanctity of human life. While his actions against MacDonald can also be seen as trying to save his own reputation, I think its moreso his disgust at MacDonald to throw away even a potential human life. Barstow gets more and more desperate as his options wear out. He doesn’t care who a person is; he doesn’t want anyone to die. Sara is a humanizing factor for both Manny and Buck. Through her, they see where they have faltered in ways they can stop. Although, Manny throws his chance away and gives it to Buck and Sara, but he knows Ranken won’t learn what he has learned. Dave Prince is a great multifaceted character. We get to see him deal with the stress of the situation in a different way from MacDonald and Barstow. His first scene, he is looking at a porno mag, but his concerns go right to his family if everything goes as bad as possible. Yet, he does just as much thinking on the fly as Barstow, and his input was absolutely necessary.

[@niconestra]

Saw this when it was released. An amazing movie, as you state, deeper than just an straightforward blow 'em up. The ending throws us a curveball. Fade ins of the prisoners and the hard cut to Rankin and the low angle of the train barreling down the track. Rounding it off with Shakespeare where the animal motive closes the scene. "No beast knows but a touch of pity..."

[@rosettareviews6531]

I didn't see it till it hit cable or VHS I was a kid back then so I'm not 100%. Definitely envy you seeing it on the big screen!

[@CaminoAir]

Excellent review. I take all your points. I still got the impression from the film (which I was fortunate to see in the cinema way back when) that Voight's character is a combination of naturally intelligent and a brute. He assesses people and situations quickly. He's well capable of reflection, even if he expresses his thoughts in more basic language. He has more inner life than either Roberts' or DeMornay's characters. He can survive in more extreme conditions because of that inner life. And (maybe it's just me) the train and even the landscape seem to reflect his primal and remorseless nature. His hand injury is the reason why Roberts volunteers to attempt to reach the final train engine and why Voight lets him. He's not remotely a sympathetic character, but he is very human all the same.

[@wimvanderstraeten6521]

The Japanese director Akira Kurosawa came up with the idea for this movie and wrote an early screenplay.

[@rosettareviews6531]

Yes he did, I need to check out some of his films...

[@MrAndreabgn]

A very well done analysis.

[@norafowler3004]

Thanks for talking about it 🎉🎉🥳🥳

[@Darrell-dp6sx]

One of the best movies I have ever seen

[@aketrak]

Spot on, this movie is sometimes pure art

[@eugenebeecher7308]

Good review. I think you gloss over the moment when she yells "Kill Him Kill Him" to Buck. That is what makes Manny snap...and take another look himself. He was turning HER into an "animal." I also rate this as Eric Roberts best performances too. All these characters had to take a lot of work to develop - and it shows.

[@bigrockydennis4216]

Runaway Train has been one of my favorite movies since I was 16 years old in (1996). In fact, I had my mom rent the movie so many times that the guy at the video rental store one day just sold her the movie for only $3.00. I still have the old worn-out VHS tape packed away. In my opinion Runaway Train and Midnight Cowboy are Jon Voights greatest performances.

[@harrygilmana6126]

My all time top 3

[@aarteestmj4958]

Actually, I wouldn’t say Manny was a psychopath. Who knows what he did to get put in prison. But his behavior would be that of most men hardened by prison after that.

[@cinemaslayerreviews4130]

Thanks for subbing to my channel! You might have to leave a comment on my review of Hamburger The Motion Picture again because KZbin won't let me read your comment or respond to it. Thanks again! This is an awesome review of a film I've never heard of too... Keep at it!

[@rosettareviews6531]

Thanks, I have left another comment, I still see my old one but I've heard horror stories about the comments, so idk... This film is very much worth a watch, it's nothing short of amazing in my estimation.

[@Buller-yc3yq]

Great movie

[@rosettareviews6531]

One of my all time favorites.

[@Buller-yc3yq]

@@rosettareviews6531 me too

[@stephenpowell5912]

Win lose what's the difference ?🥺