Der Mann auf den Schienen (1957): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1957, Der Mann auf den Schienen is a drama film directed by Andrzej Munk, running about 81 minutes.

What it’s about. In 1950, at night, a passenger train kills a man on the tracks. He is Orzechowski, an engineer since 1914. An inquiry immediately follows. Testimony takes the form of flashbacks. Tuszka, the station master, believes Orzechowski was a saboteur; at least one on the inquiry panel agrees. Zapora, the young engineer on the train that hit Orzechowski, gives more complicated testimony about the dead man - stiff-necked, proud, imperious, critical of Zapora and other younger workers. The signalman at the crossing where Orzechowski died also testifies. Can the panel arrive at the truth in a world where workers unite, inferior coal is a badge of honor, and the old order is suspect?

Who’s in it. Der Mann auf den Schienen stars Kazimierz Opaliński as Władysław Orzechowski, Zygmunt Maciejewski as Tuszka, Zygmunt Zintel as Witold Sałata and Zygmunt Listkiewicz as Stanisław Zapora, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Der Mann auf den Schienen has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Der Mann auf den Schienen page.

If you liked it. Fans of Der Mann auf den Schienen tend to enjoy Die Verurteilten, Der Pate, Schindlers Liste and Der Pate - Teil II.