Cairo Station.

Review #1398: Cairo Station.

Cast: 
Farid Shawqi (Abu Siri), Hind Rostom (Hannuma), Youssef Chahine (Qinawi), Hassan el Baroudi (Madbouli), Abdel Aziz Khalil (Abu Gaber), and Naima Wasfy (Hallawatim) Directed by Youssef Chahine.

Review: 
“I make my films first for myself. Then for my family. Then for Alexandria. Then for Egypt."

Performers can come from any country or continent, so it should only make sense to finally reach one from Africa, particularly one as prominent in the Arabian world of cinema as Egypt from one of their most known directors in its golden age in Youssef Chahine, who had an interest in the performing arts from a young age, where he showed films from a projector after saving money to the neighborhood youths. Although his parents favored engineering for him, he went abroad to study further into the arts at the Pasadena Playhouse, which he gradated from in 1948. After moving back to his native Egypt, where he made his directorial debut at the age of 23 with Father Amine [Baba Amin] (1950). In a career that spanned 57 years, he would direct over thirty films until his death in 2008, with his films being noted for their look upon social issues throughout the years, generating plenty of controversy alongside attention befitting of auteurs.

This is an interesting film(also known as Bāb al-Ḥadīd), filled with relentless drive and dark passion in its look on a station with its blend of suspense, romance and realism that make a capable thriller drama, an accomplishment for Chahine in terms of acting and directing that most would dream about doing. Shawqi does a fine job with the confident end of this trio, driving one of the social issues the film wants to present with brash drive. Rostom, considered a seduction icon for Egyptian cinema in her time, is quite illuminating with rough passion and sensuality that drives the film capably to the boiling points required, whether that means in selling refreshments or when dealing with her romantic pursuers. Chahine, the key figure of curiosity of a tragic nature, plays things with plenty of conviction and desire, filled with unrelenting tension for more than what was given (or more so not given) to him in life. One seems to feel like they are in the station themselves, where people come and go with their lives to persist on despite how tough or morally challenging it might seem when it comes to survival that brings to mind a few questions worth thinking about themselves and others. It makes for a riveting 77 minutes to see how far the rabbit hole goes in that sense with repression and obsession for survival. It also springs to mind the look of the film, which always seems to be on the move and dark enough like a noir for those tense moments, which makes for a well-executed climax. It was the first film from Egypt to be submitted for consideration for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, although it did not make the shortlist (Egypt has not had one make the cut in 34 attempts). The film did not receive much attention from others (such as with wide distribution), but this daring film has found its own place to endure that make it an interesting curiosity to view all these years later as a fair gem of world cinema.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.