the film of the week this time is EMPEROR OF THE NORTH.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070030/

Lee Marvin is one of the manliest actors ever. That word manly is very overused, just like awesome. Both apply to Marvin though. You don't get many actors like him these days. Guys like Lee Marvin were not only great actors but they looked tough as well. Sure, they probably weren't in real life since they were acting after all. For whatever reason they were a lot more authentic than the actors these days for the most part. Maybe it's because they aren't handsome in an unrealistic way. They look more like real people compared to the overly glossy model actors in a lot of films these days. Enough rambling though, I should get to talking about this film at some point.

Emperor of the North is directed by Robert Aldrich, who I think is a very underrated director. He was a bit hit and miss, but he made some great films like The Dirty Dozen, Longest Yard, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, and What ever happened to Baby Jane. His films are not very subtle, so art film lovers might not like them. They are very direct with their stories. No dull arty shots where a character stares at nature for 5 minutes, or symbolism. He gets the job done, and moves on. I respect that. This film is set during the great depression where many people are homeless.

Nobody hates them more than Shack, played by the great Ernest Borgnine, who swears that no hobo will ever ride his train for free. Lee Marvin plays A No. 1 who is ready to risk his life to ride Shack's train and survive. What I find interesting about this film is that it's based on a real guy. Look up Leon Ray Livingston. He was a real hobo who traveled around America, and wrote about his journeys.