简介：Exploringthecontradictoryfeelingsarousedbytravelling,StephenPoliakoff'stelevisionplayshowsthejourneyofapublisherontheOstend-ViennaexpresstoabookfairinLinz.Tautlyscriptedandedited,thedramaislargelyaconversationpiecebetweenPeter(MichaelKitchen)andtheirritableVienneseladyFrauMessner(PeggyAshcroft). Characteristically,Poliakoffbalancesthepersonalandthesocial,usingthetraintorepresentPeter'spersonaljourneyandtocommentonthechaoticstateofEuropeattheturnofthedecade.Thedramareflectsthewiderhistoricalandculturalissuesoftheperiod,touchingonAnglo-Americanrelations,modernterrorismandHitler'spopularityinAustria. Naturalisticinitsdialogueandcamerastyle,thedramaiscarefultoshowthelesssalubriouselementsofcontemporaryreality-youngpeoplesleepingroughatFrankfurtstation,anti-socialGermanstudents,authoritarianpolice.Thissocialcommentaryisbalancedbytheindividualjourney,bothphysicalandspiritual,undertakenbyPeter.Astimepasses,heisforcedtoreassesshispersonalvaluesandbeliefsaspeopleandsituationsputhispatiencetothetest. Poliakoffsubtlyshiftstheviewer'ssympathiesfromPetertowardsFrauMessner.Sheisinitiallydislikeablebutgraduallyrevealsamoresensitiveside,whilePeter'snegativecharacteristicsareforegroundedasthejourneyunfolds.Tellingly,thereisasenseofpersonalrevelationforhimbythefilm'sclose.FrauMessnertellshimthatalthoughheisgenerally'aniceboy',heispreoccupiedwithhimselfandhiswork. Foratelevisiondrama,CaughtonaTraindisplaysaparticularlyfilmicsensibility.TheinfluenceofHitchcock(notablyTheLadyVanishes,1938)isevidentthroughout,fromthegradualaccumulationofmysteriousandofteninsignificantdetails,totheclaustrophobicatmosphereonthetrain.Poliakoffplaysontheanxietiesandsenseofinsecuritythatrailtravellersexperienceastheyfindthemselvesadrift,somewherebetweenhomeandtheirdestination. However,thedramabalancesthisforebodingbyacknowledgingtheromanceassociatedwithtraintravel-therelativefreedom,theopportunitiesforchanceencountersandthesenseofliberationfromexternalcommunicationsuchastelephoneandletters(atleastin1980). ThejazzyscorebyMikeWestbrookperfectlycomplementstheatmosphericimagesofurbanEuropeanlandscapes,reflectingtheinnerfeelingsofthemaincharacters,whiletheuseofcontemporarymusicfromthelikesofBlondieclearlylocatesthepieceinitstime.…