Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

GrimPrecise I'll tell you why so serious

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

ma-cortes Very good picture and efficiently made by Robert Aldrich ; however , this was originally a project for Sam Peckinpah . The title ¨ Emperor of the North¨ refers to a joke among hobos during the Great Depression that the world's best hobo was Emperor of the North Pole, a way of poking fun at their own desperate situation since somebody ruling over the North Pole would be ruling over a wasteland . This film was made and originally released as "Emperor of the North Pole" after initial screenings , Twentieth Century Fox executives feared that audiences might think the title indicated a Christmas movie or an Arctic exploration story and so shortened the title to "Emperor of the North" . 1933 during the height of great depression in the US, and the land is full of people who are now homeless . Driven to desperation by the economic depression of 1930s America , a subculture of hobos hopped freight trains to get from place to place in search of jobs , handouts, or even to take it easy sometimes . Those people, commonly called "hobos", are truly hated by Shack (Ernest Borgnine), a sadistical railway conductor who announces he will kill any tramp who attempts to cop his train and swore that no hobo will ride his locomotive for free . Well, no-one but the legendary Number One (Lee Marvin) and a young hobo named Cigaret (Keith Carradine's character Cigaret is named after the moniker that Jack London adopted on the road) are ready to put their lives at wager to become national legends , as the first persons who survived the trip on Shack's known train .Tough hobo Lee Marvin & sadistic conductor Ernest Borgnine meet in the fight of the century , both of whom give excellent performances . Emperor of the North Pole depicts a microcosm of this subculture set in Oregon, and actually used the Oregon, Pacific & Eastern railroad which was taken up in 1994 like so much other trackage around the country. Thus, this motion picture serves as not only a look into an important aspect of American history, but into a specific piece of it in the Pacific Northwest . Interesting and tense screenplay is based in part on the books 'The Road' by Jack London and 'From Coast to Coast with Jack London' . It was Robert Aldrich's intention that the characters played by Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin and Keith Carradine represented the Establishment, the Anti-Establishment and the Youth of Today respectively . Nice cinematography by Joseph Biroc reflecting appropriately the 3os and Great Depression , being stunningly filmed in Oregon. Lively and evocative musical score by Frank De Vol , Aldrich's usual, including a wonderful song by Marty Robbins . Martin Ritt was originally slated to direct but was fired from the production , then Sam Peckinpah was approached next but he couldn't agree with the producers on money. The project was then offered to, and accepted by, Robert Aldrich who gave a tense and brilliant direction . Aldrich began writing and directing for TV series in the early 1950s, and directed his first feature in 1953 (Big Leaguer ,1953). Soon thereafter he established his own production company and produced most of his own films, collaborating in the writing of many of them . Directed in a considerable plethora of genres but almost all of his films contained a subversive undertone . He was an expert on warlike (Dirty Dozen , The Angry Hills , Attack , Ten seconds to hell) and Western (The Frisko kid , Ulzana's raid, Apache , Veracruz , The last sunset) . Raing : Above average , it's a must see and a standout in its genre

ThreeGuysOneMovie Set on the rails in the northwest during the great depression Emperor of the North is on the surface a tale of hobos and trains. Marvin portrays A No. 1 reigning king of the Hobos. His counterpoint is Borgnine, as Shack the sadistic train conductor. Rounding out the cast is Carradine as Cigaret a young up start hobo trying to make a name for himself on the rails.We get a glimpse of what Makes Shack tick in one of the opening scenes of the film after her brains a hobo with a hammer when he catches him riding for free on his train. His maniacal grin as the nameless hobo is crushed under the train is worth the price of admission. A No. 1 posts for all to see that he is going to ride the #19, Shacks train on the water tower at the station. No one has ridden the train without paying and lived to tell the tale. Brash new comer Cigaret wants to claim the crown as top Hobo and announces his plan to ride the train as well. A No. 1 views Cigaret as a poser and braggart but eventually attempts to teach him the secrets of being a successful hobo and give him some life lessons.The rest of the film focuses upon the conflict between these three men upon the #19 train. The climactic battle between Shack and A No. 1 that concludes the film is amazing. Picture if you will a battle involving two by fours, chains, a hammer and an Axe upon a moving train. The cinematography in the film is top notch. They really managed to capture the spirit of being on a steam engine chugging down the line. If you have a thing for trains this is sure to be right up your alley. Similarly the costumes and set pieces certainly seem like authentic depression era garb and equipment. The film evokes thoughts of black and white depression era pictures of work camps and unemployment lines.Additionally the themes of class and generational warfare permeate the film. It seems as if the film is attempting to get the audience to examine their own perceptions of other classes of people and their interactions with them. The film is set in a time of great upheaval in America when destitute masses searched for food, work and hope along the roads and rails in America. The hero A. No. 1 manages to keep his humanity, humor and sense of purpose despite the state he finds himself in. This film is defiantly worth checking out it may remind you a bit of a Peckinpah film. He was actually in negotiations to direct the film until money and control problems derailed the project. Aldrich does an admirable job in his own right at the helm making this a film worth viewing.

cosmicly Fans of "Emperor Of The North" may disagree on whether this film is superficial or deep, and they may enjoy it for different reasons.Fans who like this movie on a "superficial" level will certainly enjoy the sometimes slapstick comedy, and the gags that are perpetrated by the hobos in their quest to ride the railroad trains for free. It is certainly legitimate to see the movie as primarily an elaborate, albeit thoroughly enjoyable, bar room joke.Fans who like this movie on a "deeper" level will see the battle between Shack (Ernest Borgnine) and A No. 1 (Lee Marvin) as a classic struggle between the "haves" and the "have nots," the "cops" and the "robbers," the "establishment" and the "rebels," or as the ultimate battle for Alpha Male supremacy.However you view this movie, it is a worthwhile look at life during the Great Depression, and how it plays out for a large portion of the population who became homeless through little or no fault of their own.

engima571 I have to say, this film is one of the hidden gems of the '70s. The only reason I found it was because it was recommended on Amazon after I ordered "The Dirty Dozen". It is definitely an exciting film, even if a little slow at times. The scene where Shack's train is attempting to avoid a collision with a fast mail train still resides in my memory as one of the more exciting action scenes I have ever viewed.Ernest Borgnine is excellent as the sadistic conductor, and Lee Marvin is as well in his role as a veteran freight-hopper. Keith Carradine plays his role as an arrogant, whiny youth quite well, to the point where I was genuinely disgusted with his character. Malcolm Atterbury is perfectly cast in his final film role, playing the memorable bit part of the Hogger. Oregon Pacific and Eastern #19 is also captured beautifully among the lush foliage of the Pacific Northwest. Almost all of the filming looks like it was done on location, and Borgnine and Marvin are quite convincing as "real men" who don't need stunt doubles to be impressive.The soundtrack is the only part I genuinely did not like about this movie. The tune and lyrics are both very, very '70s, and I think that some music from the period that the film is set in would be much more effective. The timing of the already flinch-worthy music is occasionally quite bad, such as in the pre-credit sequence in the very beginning of the film. In this case, Shack finishes off an unlucky hobo with a hammer, and upbeat folk music begins to play as we see his bisected body on the tracks behind the train. Really? The music was bad, but not enough to bring it down one star in my book. The film's amazing cinematography more than makes up for this shortcoming, and the performances of both the main and supporting actors further boosts my opinion of it.I would highly recommend this film for any railroad buff or action movie lover. This is truly a forgotten masterpiece that deserves a spot in any collection!