PACIFIC 231 is a wonderful short film directed by Jean Mitry, that dates to 1949. Its soundtrack uses Arthur Honegger’s orchestral work of the same name for a tribute to the steam locomotive, and includes incredible close-up footage of driving wheels, running gear and railroad operations, mostly taken at speed, and cut to the music.
The film was awarded the Short Film Palme d’Or at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival.
Plot: An engine moves from the roundhouse to a track where it couples with several passenger cars. At 2:10 in the afternoon, it starts a trip out of the station through the countryside to its destination. The film consists of a montage of shots, some close up, of the engine and its gears and wheels. With the accompanying ambient sounds and an orchestral score, the emphasis is on the engine’s power and speed. Parallel lines of multiple tracks, telephone wires, and trees confirm a careful composition.
While the popular interpretation of the piece is that it depicts a steam locomotive Honegger, however, insisted that he wrote it as an exercise in building momentum while the tempo of the piece slows. He originally titled it Mouvement Symphonique, only giving it the name Pacific 231 after it was finished.
Nonetheless, Honegger was widely known as a train enthusiast, and once notably said: “I have always loved locomotives passionately. For me they are living creatures and I love them as others love women or horses.”
The Pacific is a class of steam locomotive designated in Whyte notation as a 4-6-2, with four pilot wheels, six driving wheels, and two trailing wheels. The French, who count axles rather than wheels when describing locomotives, call this arrangement 2-3-1.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
