When the train is seen from a distance smoke from the steam engine covers the roofs of the train cars.
When Deakin is fighting on top of the train, there is no smoke at all.
During one of the several fights on board the carriages, the scenery outside the window is seen to undergo a jump cut, revealing that the back projection loops have gone full circle.
Whenever we see the train from the outside it's moving rather slowly, but whenever we look out the windows from the inside it looks as if it's doing over 50mph.
There were telegraph wires back in the 1800's, but in the scenes where the train is going backwards, high powered electrical lines can be seen in the background.
In the entire movie the train is traveling up the mountain, but when we see the train running beside the river the current is moving the same direction as the train.
When Marica notices that the rear cars have detached, she sees a modern AAR coupler (itself an anachronism), with the knuckle opened normally.
It is not possible to open a coupler when the train is pulling upgrade.
When Deakin stands beside the locomotive at the end, the snow between the tracks is deeper than it was just a couple of minutes before.
Further, it is not trampled down as it would have been by the actions in the previous scenes.
While the sergeant is turning the brake wheel on the caboose in closeups, in longer shots as the cars pass, there is nobody on either the front or rear platform of the caboose.
Although the cars were full of soldiers, as the troop cars go off the track, break up and slide down the hill, there are no soldiers visible through the open windows and doors.
The locomotive and all the cars have automatic couplers and air brakes, neither of which were in general use until the 1880s.
Both passenger cars have enclosed vestibules (end platforms) and steel underframes, which were not common practice until the early 1900s.
The amount (and existence) of Deakin's beard stubble is inconsistent throughout the movie.
"Dead" Dr.
Molyneux draws a quick breath while Deakin is hiding the telegraph equipment in his compartment.
The film (and the novel it is based on) is apparently set in the Nevada "Territory" some time in the 1870s or 1880s, based on the dialogue and equipment in the film (weapons, the steam locomotive, etc.
) Pearce in Indian Agent for the "territory" and Fairchild is the Territorial Governor.
In fact, Nevada became a state in 1864.
When John discovers the Reverend's body in the coffin, the Reverend's eyes are shut in the one scene and open in the next scene.
The film (and the novel it is based on) is apparently set in the Nevada "Territory" some time in the 1870s or 1880s, based on the dialogue and equipment in the film (weapons, the steam locomotive, etc.
) Pearce is an Indian Agent for the "territory" and Fairchild is the Territorial Governor.
In fact, Nevada became a state in 1864.
I saw this movie when it came at theaters. Now i have it on dvd.
Based on Alistair MacLean's novel about a troop train transporting soldiers and medical supplies to a plague ridden fort, that is threatened by hijackers and other secrets from various characters like the territorial governor, doctor, and a mysterious prisoner.Featuring a fine cast that includes Charles Bronson, Richard Crenna, Jill Ireland, Charles Durning, and Ed Lauter, this suspenseful and action filled western thriller(directed by Tom Gries) is great fun all the way, and also has a twist laden plot to keep the viewer guessing.
Was interested to watch this as I'd just read the novel on which its based. The novel isn't exactly thrilling but you can see it has all the elements to make a cinematic film, if anything it feels written with this in mind.
Coming off the controversial hit Death Wish, frequent collaborators Charles Bronson and director Michael Winner team up again. Of course, Bronson's wife Jill Ireland is cast as well as Ed Lauter, Richard Crenna, Charles Durning as well as a ton of actors that were seen frequently in movies for three decades plus(the 60's through the 80's and beyond).
The biggest problem with this movie is the rather uninteresting beginning. The movie doesn't introduce us to the characters in the interesting way.
Accurately reviewed elsewhere, especially on Rotten Tomatoes, I want to draw attention to the two producers who leave MacLean fans with a reasonable legacy, in spite of the efforts of a few other hapless production companies who almost single-handedly jeopardised the MacLean brand forever with a handful of awful translations of his novels to screen. So here, the mixture of action thriller, western and 'murder' mystery is neatly propelled by assured performances from Gershwin and Kastner's assembled cast and once again decent money is invested in the production not least in the expensively-rented heritage train shot on location against a beautiful Idaho winter mountain backdrop to ground the otherwise lightweight plot in period naturalism.
Based on a novel by spy-master Alistair MacLean, BREAKHEART PASS is one of those twisty suspense films in which nobody is really whom they first appear to be and there are bad guys everywhere you turn. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery story, which benefits from a perfectly-cast Charles Bronson playing the film's hero.
There came a point in the movie when I began wondering to myself, how come John Deakin/Murray (Charles Bronson) is running around loose without scrutiny or in the presence of any of the authority figures, like Marshal Pearce (Ben Johnson) or Major Claremont (Ed Lauter). After all, his face was on a Wanted Poster, and he admitted to being an arsonist and murderer.
Breakheart Pass is a good, mystery western with an appeal relative to the 1985 movie "Clue" (except there isn't three or four different endings like there was in Clue). This movie makes you keep guessing who the culprit is and the action nor suspense ever let up at all.
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