Emperor Of The North Pole is directed by Robert Aldrich. It is tough violent film set in the depression era Pacific Northwest railroads and concerns hobos hitching a free ride on the trains and the railway guards fighting them off.
One rail guard is Shack (Ernest Borgnine) he is a mean one and will kill any hobo who rides on his train and he enjoys it. Lee Marvin is the hobo who is determined to ride Shack's train and this leads to a clash of these two alpha males and two Oscar winning actors.
Along for the ride is Keith Carradine as the young hobo who also gets involved in a tussle with Marvin and Borgnine. Carradine's character is a bit dim and gets in Marvin's way as well as being shifty and untrustworthy when he should be a protégé of Marvin.
The film ends with a violent showdown between Borgnine and Marvin but the film does come across as confused as the relationship between Carradine and Marvin is never developed. Were they supposed to be uneasy allies or enemies as in the key final fight he is just a spectator.
The film is filled with the depression period atmosphere and it is a muscular film, interesting and novel but I expected something with more substance from Aldrich such as a more shaded villain from Borgnine, his Shack is so disliked that other rail workers were hoping Marvin would successfully ride his train.
One rail guard is Shack (Ernest Borgnine) he is a mean one and will kill any hobo who rides on his train and he enjoys it. Lee Marvin is the hobo who is determined to ride Shack's train and this leads to a clash of these two alpha males and two Oscar winning actors.
Along for the ride is Keith Carradine as the young hobo who also gets involved in a tussle with Marvin and Borgnine. Carradine's character is a bit dim and gets in Marvin's way as well as being shifty and untrustworthy when he should be a protégé of Marvin.
The film ends with a violent showdown between Borgnine and Marvin but the film does come across as confused as the relationship between Carradine and Marvin is never developed. Were they supposed to be uneasy allies or enemies as in the key final fight he is just a spectator.
The film is filled with the depression period atmosphere and it is a muscular film, interesting and novel but I expected something with more substance from Aldrich such as a more shaded villain from Borgnine, his Shack is so disliked that other rail workers were hoping Marvin would successfully ride his train.