AllMovie

Accidentally stepping off a train at some God-forsaken whistle stop, a worldly, elegantly dressed Frenchwoman (Stéphane Excoffier) finds shelter in the cabin of a lonely Dutch pointsman (Jim van der Woude), whose life consists mainly of his work, daily housekeeping, and sleep. Using gestures, facial expressions, color contrast, and virtually no dialogue (the characters speak two different languages, anyway), director Jos Stelling builds his film on the opposition between the virginal pointsman's emotional aloofness and the blatant, provocative eroticism of his guest, which eventually makes her a hostage of his passion. This is an artistic film that will likely appeal primarily to movie buffs.