Marais was some stud, more than able to handle a physical role in a low budget but colorful and fast—paced '60s action movie.

Gilles Grangier's TRAIN D'ENFER is an unusually good thrilling action movie—mindless fun—lean, clean, straight, completely over—the—top—from the '60s with Marais in ideal shape as the lead; one can tell from the first frame whether a movie is enjoyable or not—and this one convinces immediately. Its nice photography, its score and pace and liveliness remind very well the '60s; and the '60s ideas of a thriller inform the script and the execution.

Marisa Mell plays the vamp in this action flick; the regular ingredients do show up—the conspiracy, the crazy scientist, the nuclear threat, the gadgets—plentifully '60s. Marais is Antoine Donadieu, a Secret Service agent. This sounds like James Bond on low—budget and small scale.

A great actor, Marais deserved nonetheless such small action flicks as well—to give an idea about his physical aptitudes. In TRAIN D'ENFER he brings genuine brio to his role.

The truth is that men like Marais, Belmondo, Delon made a fair amount of fine thrillers, had their share of good thrillers—whether unpretentious small outings like TRAIN D'ENFER or impressive masterpieces like some of Delon's—e.g., LE CERCLE ROUGE or, even better, PLEIN SOLEIL—I have always found Delon to be a respectable actor.