Kawalerowicz's penchant for atmospheric cinematography heightens the effect of this engaging mystery about characters thrown together on a train speeding toward the seashore with a murderer on board. Leon Niemczyk (Knife in the Water) and Lucyna Winnicka (Mother Joan of the Angels) are two strangers who are forced to bunk together while her former lover, Zbigniew Cybulski (Ashes and Diamonds), emerges periodically from second class to make his presence known. In the intolerance and the intense human solitude that surround the figure of the murderer, Kawalerowicz develops his frequent theme of individual responsibility for oneself and others. A fine addition to the “great train dramas” of world cinema, and seemingly influenced by American film noir, Night Train won awards for both Kawalerowicz and Winnicka at the Venice Film Festival.