I'll tell you why so serious

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Very good picture and efficiently made by Robert Aldrich ; however , this was originally a project for Sam Peckinpah . The title ¨ Emperor of the North¨ refers to a joke among hobos during the Great Depression that the world's best hobo was Emperor of the North Pole, a way of poking fun at their own desperate situation since somebody ruling over the North Pole would be ruling over a wasteland . This film was made and originally released as "Emperor of the North Pole" after initial screenings , Twentieth Century Fox executives feared that audiences might think the title indicated a Christmas movie or an Arctic exploration story and so shortened the title to "Emperor of the North" . 1933 during the height of great depression in the US, and the land is full of people who are now homeless . Driven to desperation by the economic depression of 1930s America , a subculture of hobos hopped freight trains to get from place to place in search of jobs , handouts, or even to take it easy sometimes . Those people, commonly called "hobos", are truly hated by Shack (Ernest Borgnine), a sadistical railway conductor who announces he will kill any tramp who attempts to cop his train and swore that no hobo will ride his locomotive for free . Well, no-one but the legendary Number One (Lee Marvin) and a young hobo named Cigaret (Keith Carradine's character Cigaret is named after the moniker that Jack London adopted on the road) are ready to put their lives at wager to become national legends , as the first persons who survived the trip on Shack's known train .Tough hobo Lee Marvin & sadistic conductor Ernest Borgnine meet in the fight of the century , both of whom give excellent performances . Emperor of the North Pole depicts a microcosm of this subculture set in Oregon, and actually used the Oregon, Pacific & Eastern railroad which was taken up in 1994 like so much other trackage around the country. Thus, this motion picture serves as not only a look into an important aspect of American history, but into a specific piece of it in the Pacific Northwest . Interesting and tense screenplay is based in part on the books 'The Road' by Jack London and 'From Coast to Coast with Jack London' . It was Robert Aldrich's intention that the characters played by Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin and Keith Carradine represented the Establishment, the Anti-Establishment and the Youth of Today respectively . Nice cinematography by Joseph Biroc reflecting appropriately the 3os and Great Depression , being stunningly filmed in Oregon. Lively and evocative musical score by Frank De Vol , Aldrich's usual, including a wonderful song by Marty Robbins . Martin Ritt was originally slated to direct but was fired from the production , then Sam Peckinpah was approached next but he couldn't agree with the producers on money. The project was then offered to, and accepted by, Robert Aldrich who gave a tense and brilliant direction . Aldrich began writing and directing for TV series in the early 1950s, and directed his first feature in 1953 (Big Leaguer ,1953). Soon thereafter he established his own production company and produced most of his own films, collaborating in the writing of many of them . Directed in a considerable plethora of genres but almost all of his films contained a subversive undertone . He was an expert on warlike (Dirty Dozen , The Angry Hills , Attack , Ten seconds to hell) and Western (The Frisko kid , Ulzana's raid, Apache , Veracruz , The last sunset) . Raing : Above average , it's a must see and a standout in its genre

This 1970s classic has hardly aged a day. Viewed in 2010, it looks like it could have been released last week. Bushy-browed Ernest Borgnine stars as a Depression-era railroad conductor who'll be damned if he'll allow hoboes to ride his train. Lee Marvin is a hobo and Borgnine's main nemesis, who decides late in the film to take on Borgnine. A very young Keith Carradine is Marvin's unwanted "student." Borgnne is incredibly ruthless dealing with not just the hoboes, but his fellow workers as well. Marvin is an unusual hobo,an introspective fella who is not like his fellow rail riders. Carradine's character is wet behind the wears, and due for a lesson in harsh reality, which he gets. The stunt fights are amazing -- no CGI crap back then -- and the interludes between fights are very entertaining. They are reminiscent of scenes from "Cool Hand Luke," at least to me. The location photography is magnificent. Director Aldrich draws the line at any graphic gore -- the blood looks like plain old red paint -- but the fights are damned convincing nonetheless. A real joy, and truly ageless.

Basically a three character cat and mouse game revolving around trains during the Great Depression. Sometimes a little over the top, but with good acting and dialog. Ernest Borgnine plays the deluded conductor obsessed with keeping hobos off his train. Lee Marvin is the number one hobo, who vows to ride Borgnines train all the way to Portland, and Keith Carradine, full of bravura, tries to dethrone Marvin by catching the same ride. Along the way, a sort of mutual admiration develops as the two hobos deal with the sadistic Borgnine. Great Oregon scenery and a realistic depression era setting adds immeasurably. The fact that there is minimal background information about the three protagonists was a slight disappointment. - MERK

Interesting, quasi-political film of depression era hobo (Lee Marvin) - famous within hobo circles for being able to ride any train - trying to ride one guarded by meanest guy in the world (Ernest Borgnine). He picks up a young protégé (a very young Keith Carradine) along the way who -- after much resistance - he accepts as the start of the next generation of men who live by their wits and go their own way.The acting is solid throughout. The score is a bit much at times, and some of the writing is variable, but there are good scenes and thoughtful ideas about the battle between 'freedom' and playing by the rules along the way. Aka 'The Emperor of the North'.