Central Station (DVD)

...do Brasil" (English title - Central Station) several years ago but having seen it again recently I thought that my collection of film reviews on Ciao would be sadly lacking without reference to it.

Central Station is a Brazilian film released in 1998 and it was nominated for 2 Oscars (Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Foreign Film) in 1999 and won the BAFTA for Best Foreign Film. It is directed by renowned Brazilian director ...
...working in Rio de Janeiro's central railway station (Central do Brasil) writing letters for some of the city's many illiterate citizens. Dora is a bitter and cynical person who has never married. Most of the time she never posts the letters she writes and simply throws them away. One day a woman comes to her to write a letter to her husband of behalf of her 9 year old son Josué (Vinícius de Oliveira) but whilst coming again to write a second letter ... more

I first saw "Central do Brasil" (English title - Central Station) several years ago but having seen it again recently I thought that my collection of film reviews on Ciao would be sadly lacking without reference to it.

Central Station is a Brazilian film released in 1998 and it was nominated for 2 Oscars (Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Foreign Film) in 1999 and won the BAFTA for Best Foreign Film. It is directed by renowned Brazilian director Walter Salles (who also did "Behind the Sun" and "Foreign Land"). It is in Portuguese with English subtitles.

Plot
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Dora (Fernanda Montenegro) is a retired schoolteacher who makes some money by working in Rio de Janeiro's central railway station (Central do Brasil) writing letters for some of the city's many illiterate citizens. Dora is a bitter and cynical person who has never married. Most of the time she never posts the letters she writes and simply throws them away. One day a woman comes to her to write a letter to her husband of behalf of her 9 year old son Josué (Vinícius de Oliveira) but whilst coming again to write a second letter the mother is tragically killed by a bus. The devastated Josué, who has nobody else in Rio, resorts to hanging around the station.

Josué approaches the only person he knows, Dora, for help. But her response is brief and cruel - "scram!". But as Dora sees Josué sleeping in the station she softens and talks to him and eventually invites him back to her flat. There the boy also meets Dora's friend Irene (Marília Pêra). However, after a short time Dora decides to sell Josué to child traffickers who maintain they are sending the children to adoptive parents in Europe. With the money she buys a television and tells Irene that Josué has gone to his father. However, Irene is suspicious and extracts the truth from Dora. "Those children aren't adopted!" she cries. "They're killed, and their organs are sold!".

Dora's guilt overcomes her and she goes back to the traffickers and bravely rescues Josué who understandably doesn't want to go with her, calling her a 'bad woman'. Now on the run from the traffickers and unable to return to her flat Dora sets off on a journey to take Josué to the remote north east of Brazil in order to find his father.

The story now documents their journey and the changing relationship between them until they finally reach their goal. At one point Dora tries to abandon Josué but this backfires and they end up penniless and with no choice but to continue on their journey. They get a lift with a kind lorry driver for part of the way. For another part they tag along with a religious group. Finally they reach their destination - but will they find Josué's father?

Acting
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Much of the film's success rests firmly on the shoulders of Fernanda Montenegro, an actress who successfully defeats any temptation to allow sentimentality to wreck her relationship with the boy. She understands that the film is not really about the boy's search for his father, but about her own reawakening. This process is measured out so carefully that we don't even notice the point at which she crosses over into a kinder and gentler person. Monetenegro is a well known and admired actress in Brazil she most definitely should have received the Oscar for this film. (It actually went to Gwyneth Paltrow for Shakespeare in Love?).

Vinícius de Oliveira as Josué is also excellent. In reality he was discovered working as a shoeshine boy in the airport by Walter Salles who had been trying to cast the role for months. He plays the part so realistically and without any misguided sentimentality.

Analysis
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Central do Brasil is a tale of discovery for it's two main characters. Josué want's to discover his roots and Dora discovers her long lost ability to love and show compassion. It is also a tale of Brazil itself. Walter Salles turns a critical but tender eye on the peoples and ways of the country, which is both beautiful and disturbing, corrupt and yet full of goodness.

In an early scene we see a young thief chased by guards in the station. They chase him down the tracks and finally catch him and though he pleads "don't kill me" they coldly execute him on the spot. This along with the child trafficking demonstrates the brutal reality of some aspects of Rio. But it is Dora witnessing this killing that leads her to think of Josué's future as an orphan on Rio's streets and take pity on him. However, once we leave Rio the film becomes a road movie in which we see the tremendous beauty of Brazil's open spaces.

On the journey we see modern Brazil through the eyes of the characters. There are the long-haul trucks that are the lifeline of commerce in the country. They visit the sprawling housing developments searching for Josué's father. They encounter religious ceremonies which meld Christianity with beliefs rooted in Africa. They see the blend of old ways and new. Whether they find the father is not really the point; the film is about their journey and their relationship. The film also reflects upon God and religion with the two main characters resembling pilgrims who find spritual strength in each other. Ultimately, this is an optimistic film, full of hope, despite the bittersweet ending which may have you in tears. Also, there are many funny and uplifting moments throughout.

Apart from the fantastic story and wonderful acting, this film also benefits from superb direction. Salles is a master with the camera and the film becomes a tribute to Brazil's receding beauty. The contrast between the dark, corruption of Rio and the open countryside, so full of hope and dreams, is remarkable.

The film also boasts a fantastic score, moving and powerful.

The film is about loss, loneliness, courage, adventure, companionship and love and I would doubt that many could fail to be moved by it.

This is a monumental film, cinematic poetry. Between Salles directing, the poignant story, the reflective subjects, the score and the acting, there is so much that makes this unmissable. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Official Sites : http://www.centraldobrasil.com.br and http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/centralstation

Rated 15 (UK), R (USA)
 

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