The Battle of the Rails (French: La Bataille du rail) is a 1946 French war film directed by René Clément. It depicts the efforts by railway workers in the French Resistance to sabotage German military transport trains during the Second World War, particularly during the Invasion of Normandy by Allied forces. Many of the cast were genuine railway workers. While critics have often historically treated it as similar to Italian neorealism, it is closer to the traditional documentaries which the director had previously worked on. The film was shown at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Prix international du jury and Clément won the Best Director Award. The film also won the inaugural Prix Méliès. In 1949 the film was distributed in America by Arthur Mayer and Joseph Burstyn. Cast Charles Boyer as Narrator Jean Clarieux as Lampin Jean Daurand as Cheminot Jacques Desagneaux as Athos François Joux as Cheminot Pierre Latour as Cheminot Tony Laurent as Camargue Robert Le Ray as Chef de gare Pierre Lozach as Cheminot Pierre Mindaist as Cheminot Léon Pauléon as Chef de gare St-André Fernand Rauzéna as Cheminot Redon as Mecanicien Michel Salina as Allemand See also Battle for the railways References Bibliography Williams, Alan. Republic of Images: A History of French Filmmaking. Harvard University Press, 1992. External links Border Crossings: Placing René Clément’s La Bataille du rail 1946 films 1946 war films French war films Films about the French Resistance Rail transport films History of rail transport in France Films directed by René Clément French black-and-white films French World War II films 1940s French-language films 1940s French films