Paris, August 1944 - with the Allied army closing in on German commander and art fanatic Colonel Von Waldheim (Paul Scofield), he decides to steal a vast collection of rare French paintings and loads them onto a train bound for Berlin. But when a beloved French patriot is murdered while trying to sabotage Von Waldheim's scheme, Labiche (Burt Lancaster), a stalwart member of the Resistance, vows to stop the train at any cost. Screen icon Jeanne Moreau also stars!