“A unique and daring achievement that sees Drygas returning with another bold examination of the human condition.”

If you were asked to select a single invention as the most important in human history, what would you choose? The likely answers usually range from the wheel to the internet, with a number of other compelling arguments to be made about a variety of inventions. Yet, it is somewhat difficult to argue with the belief that it is the steam engine. This invention not only kick-started the Industrial Revolution but also essentially redefined society and how it functions. Since their introduction, we have developed quite a strong fascination with trains. Whether we view them as the centrepiece of various industries or merely as a form of transport, they have played a major part in our lives, even amongst those who may not make use of them on a daily basis. This is the impetus for Trains (Pociągi), in which esteemed documentarian Maciej J. Drygas (in his first film in over a decade) crafts a fascinating and engaging portrait of the various ways in which trains factor into the lives of people. This ranges from the ordinary working class in many European cities that vary in size, to some of the most recognisable individuals (including those who have achieved enormous notoriety), all of whom made use of trains for various reasons. A unique and daring achievement that sees Drygas returning with another bold examination of the human condition.

The most appropriate way to describe Trains would be as a multimodal, mixed-media collage. The core of the film is footage drawn from a variety of sources, all of which feature trains in some form or another. This includes archival footage, newsreels, historical material and even some scenes from famous films (such as Charlie Chaplin’s The Idle Class, one of the most memorable uses of a train in a film), all of which come together to form a bold and engaging depiction of the prominence of trains as a means of transporting both people and cargo across cities, countries and even entire continents. Making use of over a century of footage, Drygas cobbles together a mesmerising medley of moments that plunge the viewer into the heart of the 20^th century, allowing us to spend a few brief moments with these people as they exist in transit. It should be noted that the film is not entirely composed of images of trains, but rather uses them as the conceptual foundation for a few intriguing forays into the surroundings, the film functioning as a freeform visual essay more than abiding by a particular structure. Every viewer is likely to find a different aspect of the film particularly compelling, and there is enough diversity in the scenes that Drygas chooses to include that the film never becomes repetitive, consistently finding new ways to explore the importance of trains in the lives of people during this era.

However fascinating it may be to simply luxuriate in the splendour of this historical footage, particularly in how the director assembles the material, there is something deeper and more profound lingering beneath the surface of Trains, which is evident through the director’s own description of the film as being about the hopes and dreams of various people across the 20^th century. Trains are peculiar entities – it seems somewhat inappropriate to describe them as either vehicles or industrial devices, so even speaking about what they represent can be an intriguing challenge, especially since they are immediately recognisable, their purpose clear but still somewhat more difficult to pinpoint. The only way to describe them appropriately would be through the people who make use of them, as well as the places within which they move, which is precisely what Drygas was intending to convey with this film. Trains were not only groundbreaking for how they revolutionised technology and the economy, but also for the role they played in redefining social structure. There are many aspects of this film that require us to actively participate with what we are seeing, asserting our own unique interpretations onto what specific scenes mean when juxtaposed with another, and Drygas is very reluctant to provide any context; the complete lack of narration, spoken dialogue or on-screen text forces us to engage entirely with the images, an audacious and compelling approach to these seemingly very simple themes.

Trains is a film that delivers exactly what it promises at the outset, being as simple and straightforward as its title. Drygas clearly believes that there is very little need to engage in any form of artistic posturing, and while he could have been much more aloof and ethereal with how he constructed this film, he chooses instead to focus on the core premise, building a fascinating film from a variety of complex ideas. What becomes abundantly clear throughout this project is that context and explanation are unnecessary, since it is established quite early on that there is no right or wrong way to watch this film – whatever meaning we glean from either specific scenes or the entire film is relevant, since it refuses to follow a particular story or structure. Drygas actively rejects conventions in favour of this hypnotic, daring assemblage of images, each one adding something new and stirring a range of different thoughts and emotions. It’s an ambitious film, and one that may not be easy to comprehend at first, particularly when we are very much driven by the desire to understand everything that we see on screen, a trait that is rendered as redundant with this film. Much like previous films that touched on themes like radio broadcasts, agriculture and the mail system, Drygas takes a seemingly modest and unassuming subject with which we are all familiar, and reworks it into a thought-provoking, engrossing work of art that forces the viewer to look at the world slightly differently, finding new meaning in images and ideas that we tend to take for granted.