lars von trier be never backward in try out new technique . some of them be very original while others be best forgotten . he depict postwar germany a a nightmarish train journey . with so many city lie in ruin and leo kessler a young american of german descent feel oblige to help in their restoration . it be not a simple task a he quickly find out . his uncle find him a job a a night conductor on the zentropa railway line . his job be to attend to the need of the passenger . when the shoe be polish a chalk mark be make on the sol . a terrible argument ensues when a passenger shoe be not chalk despite the fact they have be polish . there be many allusion to the german fanaticism of adherence to such stupid detail . the railway journey be like an allegory represent man procession through life with all it trial and tribulation . in one sequence leo dash through the back carriage to discover them fill with half starve body appear to have just escape from auschwitz . these image and horrible a they be and be fleet a in a dream and each with it own terrible impact yet unconnected . at a station call urmitz leo jump from the train with a parceled bomb . in view of many by stander he connect the bomb to the underside of a carriage . he return to his cabin and make a connection to a time clock . later he jump from the train ( at high speed ) and lie in the cool grass on a river bank . look at the star above he decide that his job be to build and not destroy . subsequently a he see the train approach a giant bridge he run at breakneck speed to board the train and stop the clock . if you care to analyse the situation it be a completely impossible task . quite ridiculous in fact . it could only happen in a dream . it strange how one remember little detail such a a row of cup hang on hook and rattle away with the swaying of the train . despite the fact that this film be widely acclaim and i prefer lars von trier later film ( break the wave and the idiot ) . the bomb scene describe above really put me off . perhaps i be a realist .