Boxcar Bertha

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Gus L @RT25340737 Apr 9, 2026 "Yes, I’d just like to say this is a holdup. We’ve come for your money and jewels." Actual footage of me playing Red Dead Redemption II. See more Christian M @chriss17eu Feb 3, 2026 'Boxcar Bertha' marks the beginning of what could be called Scorsese’s "shooting cinema": a more direct style with a stronger emphasis on action, where the Bible, sex, and nudity reappear without a clearly defined function—whether as provocation, character development, or moral statement. The film also leans into political cinema, portraying class struggle and oppressed workers who must organize and resist, recalling 'Metropolis'. Unlike 'Who’s That Knocking at My Door', the narrative is linear and accessible, with no intent to disorient the viewer. Editing takes precedence over the screenplay, while the insistent use of music can become exhausting. The central group works well together, but Barbara Hershey stands out as the emotional core and clear protagonist. The unsettling ending, built around absence rather than resolution, gives the film its strength. Imperfect but valuable, it helps illuminate the evolution of Scorsese’s filmmaking. See more Tom M @RT77934561 Nov 18, 2025 I love a bit of Scorcese. But not particularly this bit. Low budget thrills which I used to love from these types of films no longer excite me. Not sure how much personal input Marty was allowed but this isn't what you'd expect from the director of today. See more Red T @RT43513976 Sep 14, 2023 It's ok enough. The acting is ok enough overall but no one except Bill is really given much character. Hershey is probably the strongest performance and isn't bad overall but she isn't given much backstory, motivations, or much dialouge even. Everyone else just kind of blends in. The cinematography isn't bad and is the best thing. Shots are well framed, the settings have a gritty low budget feel to them that works well, but the scenes themselves don't have a lot of compelling things going on. The worst part about this is the subpar editing. This is called boxcar bertha but if you asked me who the main character is, I'd have to say Big Bill is more the main character 60% of the time than Bertha. She doesn't get hardly any backstory, we don't see her grow up, rather we see her just do stuff in a crime adventure style plot. This can't decide if it wants to be a character study or a crime drama, heck it can't decide who the main focus is even. The plot does make sense though and is simple but never comelling and very standard stuff told in a subpar way. It truly feels like Bertha is forgotten about for most of the middle of this film and is more a vechile for telling Big Bill's story than anything. The pacing is ok enough though as this is really short for better or for worse and never overstays its welcome. Add in a generic harmonica track that plays through the entire runtime and you can see why there really isn't any reason to watch this. Even if your a fan of any actors in this. Skip it. See more Steve D @RT35616104 Mar 18, 2023 Martin Scorsese lacks the talent at this point to pull this off. Few signs of the legend he will become. See more dave s @RT68722908 Mar 9, 2022 Other than a couple of stylistic flourishes and a Christ-like image at the end, there is not much in Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha that would hint at his later successes, most notably Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, two classics that would be released in the decade following Boxcar Bertha. Backed by producer Roger Corman and the AIP studio, it's a low budget period piece that follows the exploits of Bertha (Barbara Hershey) and ‘Big' Bill (David Carradine) as they rob their way through the south. Other than decent performances from Hershey and Carradine and a catchy, albeit somewhat tiring, music score, there's really not much to see here. Much like the characters, the plot wanders about aimlessly, the editing is choppy and inconsistent, and the direction lacks Scorsese's usual confidence, understandable when one considers the measly budget. See more Read all reviews

Boxcar Bertha

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