Emporer of the North Pole

[trekgeezer]

My Dad rode trains during the depression and it was mostly to travel and try to find work. I think the hobos could be equated to hippies  of the 60's, they had a definite anti-establishment attitude.  There were a lot characters like Shak, who by the way has his own sense of pride in nobody stowing on his train making the whole trip.

[dixie prick]

how on gods green earth did you come up with such a great movie
to put on a website called badmovies ?????

[dixie prick]

I've always liked the film, it's not the typical action film, especially the setting.

I agreee with what people like Neville and Scott have said about the motivations. Besdies In the circumstances the hobos were in, you might find pride and satisfaction in some rather strange and in the long run meaningless places. But what else did they have besides the hardscrabble life of looking for your next meal, shelter for the night, and maybe the chance to earn or steal a little money.

Great, brutal final fight, not flashy like so many these days, but you feel the pain. Just like when Shak uses the rope and a steel pin to rough up A No. 1.

Besides I can't help but love a movie where Lee Marvin hits a punk with a live chicken.

yeah this scene was very believable  .  you gotta figure if you were a hobo in those days a meal or scrap of food perhaps might be all you got if you were lucky enough.
so they weren't in the best shape . whether or not lee marvin was or wasn't in great health then , he sure played a convinceing part . he looked to be worn out in several
scenes in this movie . the part where they grease the rails with left over grease from 5 gallon buckets in the dump , he brought that out vividly . he and kieth carradine .

[peter johnson]

Well, I think with some films, once it becomes apparent that we're dealing with a Mythic story -- one that reflects aspects of The Hero's Journey, as defined by Joseph Campbell -- some suspension of disbelief is in order.
Marvin & Borgnine are locked in combat that transcends the situation, and, yes, it's personal as well.  Marvin isn't just standing up to Borgnine, but to the entirety of Life's Situation that has brought him low.  Borgnine personifies sadistic evil, something that kills and imposes pain for its own sake.  As such, they are both more than merely human.
peter johnson/denny get that damn steel peg away from me!!

[lester1/2jr]

dixie- well, it's in the good movie section