Cairo station is from 1958 so that means that this is the nasser period and some sort of nationalistic postcolonial awakening is going on with the nationalization of the suez canal and a war where israel kicked their butt, but france and britain got humiliated. Outside of the station used to be the statue of ramses ii that was relocated to the area of giza on 25 august 2006, in preparation for its eventual installation in the grand egyptian museum. This landmark egyptian film was directed by youssef chahine. When an abused socialite grows to giant size because of an alien encounter and an aborted murder attempt, she goes after her cheating husband with revenge on her mind. One such person is quinawi chahine, a physically handicapped peddler who scrapes by selling newspapers. I like movies that are short and sweet, and cairo station definitely fits that bill, but i guess i. Qinawi becomes obsessed with hannuma, a beautiful cold drink vendor. With allison hayes, william hudson, yvette vickers, roy gordon. Ethans rating of the film cairo station ethan this is an exciting and fast paced film that perfectly captures the atmosphere of this train station as its own universe with an assortment of eccentric characters that are constantly on the brink of destroying one another in between comic jabs. The movie has a clear change of tone and chahine executed this change perfectly, in a way that it does not feel forced. Cairo station, released in 1958, was the eleventh film of egyptian cinema titan youssef chahine. During that time he laid the groundwork for the most illustrious career in egyptian cinema and arab cinema, and one of the greatest in world cinema of the past seventyfive years.
Apr 22, 2018 beyond this trio of characters, cairo station is a movie with various little stories within its major plot, all of these stories inside the train station and resonating with some part of the egyptian society at the time. Sep 26, 2018 cairo station 1958 the struggles against sexual repression and social oppression. In cairo s busy rail terminus, passions are simmering. Joel gordon in his essay broken heart of the city on the movie writes that the numerous walkouts during the films initial screening was due to. Chahines film is a grand, hollywoodstyle melodrama with a lavish score and monochrome deepfocus cinematography. Youssef chahines cairo station 1958 before going into the shotbyshot analysis, it is important we take a look at the movie as a whole. Oct, 2011 the acting could be much better, and the climax requires an enormous suspension of disbelief, but youssef chahines cairo station is compact and those parts that might seem random at first all fit together in the end, underlining chahines skill as a storyteller and a craftsman. Berlin international film festival 1958 golden berlin bear nominee youssef chahine. Avengers and game of thrones rule 2019 mtv movie and tv awards. Generously provided by arab film distribution saturday. Cairo station 1958 a newspaper salesman at the train station in cairo develops an unhealthy obsession with a woman who sells refreshments.
The film which put egyptian writerdirector chahine on the international map plays like a great overlooked masterpiece of italian neorealism. Generously provided by arab film distribution saturday, cairo station youssef chahine, 1958 on vimeo. Cairo station, hull classification symbol owp142, is an orbital defense platform in geosynchronous orbit about 35,900 kilometers above earth. Surprisingly, it is free of censorship and restraint for its day, being an egyptian film. The year 1958 in film in the us involved some significant events, including the hit musicals south pacific and gigi. Central station is a refreshing blend of hidden sexual tension, film noir and neorealism from the 1950s. Jun 08, 2014 youssef chahines cairo station 1958 before going into the shotbyshot analysis, it is important we take a look at the movie as a whole. The adroit interweaving of various miniplots around the station is matched by a heady mix of moods and genres. Youssef chahine received international recognition when this masterpiece of sexuality and repression among societys marginalized. Quinawi develops an obsessive fixation on the beautiful hanuma rostom, a saucy beauty who sells cold drinks at the station. A newspaper salesman at the train station in cairo develops an unhealthy obsession with a woman who sells refreshments. Cairo station 1958 youssef chahine had been directing movies for eight years when cairo station reached the screen in 1958. It was entered into the 8th berlin international film festiva l.
Youssef chahines cairo station 1958 is a riveting character study which distinctly combines stark social realism with genre styles. Cairo station 1958 the struggles against sexual repression and. But she is engaged to abu siri, a husky luggage porter who is trying to organize his coworkers into a. Find release information for cairo station 1958 youssef chahine on allmovie. Chahines atmospheric chaotic railway station sets the tone to depict an egyptian society in flux. The official submission of egypt for the best foreign language film category of the 31st academy awards in 1959, cairo station also called the iron gate asserts itself to be a fantastic thriller directed by youssef chahine. Egyptian director youssef chahine, made in 1958, is located entirely on the station grounds. Universally panned by egypts cinema audiences when it was first released in 1958, youssef chahines cairo station disappeared from view for two decades until it was. Calling any movie one of the greatest of all time is a vacuous epithet that ignores the subjective nature of enjoyment. Cairo station, also called the iron gate is a 1958 egyptian drama film directed by youssef chahine. This suspenseful psychological thriller is an unabated deepdive into the budding neuroses of a handicapped young man scrounging for a living in a cairo train station, and the fatal repercussions of his perverse unrequited. Youssef chahine had been directing movies for eight years when cairo station reached the screen in 1958. It has a coherent story, understandable characters and a fun setting.
Chahine directed and stars as a crippled newspaper vender who becomes obsessed with rostoms drink seller. Universally panned by egypts cinema audiences when it was first released in 1958, youssef chahines cairo station disappeared from view for two decades until it was rediscovered and hailed as a. Universally panned by egypts cinema audiences when it was first released in 1958, youssef chahines cairo station disappeared from view. Apr 01, 2020 kinawi, a physically challenged peddler who makes his living selling newspapers in the central cairo train station, is obsessed by hannouma, an attractive young woman who sells drinks. It was also his most controversial feature up until that point in his career. Its a dark pic, set entirely at the busy main cairo railway station. What little african cinema ive seen has given me a set of expectations. Shockingly, this film is a melodrama, complete with a dramatic, fifties style musical score. In the bustling cairo train station, a host of workers make their meager livings, many only one step up from homelessness. A masterpiece made in 1958 depicting the lower depths of egyptian society making their living at cairos version of grand central station. Overview of cairo station, 1958, directed by youssef chahine, with farid shawky, hend rostom, youssef chahine, at turner classic movies. Named after the egyptian city of cairo, it is in the same battle cluster as athens and malta stations and seems to be mainly guarding the area above the mediterranean. Cairo station the egyptian director youssef chahine stars in his teeming, sharpeyed populist drama, from 1958, which blends a warmhearted view of a wide array of characters and audacious social.
A masterpiece made in 1958 depicting the lower depths of egyptian society making their living at cairo s version of grand central station. It is on film critic ahmad alhadaris 2007 list of the 100 most important egyptian films. The trousseau left of archduchess elisabeth marie of austria 18831963 when she married otto weriand, prince of windischgraetz. Cairo station 1958 changes the movie database tmdb. This particular film takes place over the course of a day, and outlines the story of qinawi played by chahine a poor, somewhat pathetic and sexually repressed newspaper vendor in the. I can see why people consider this movie a classic, but i fail to see why it is so great.
Director youssef chahine studied film in pasadena, and in cairo station 1958, it is obvious that he brought a chunk of hollywood back to egypt with him. The movie grabs felliniesque characters especially that sexy femme and combines them in a joyous and iconic central location. I never saw an american film from that era with a crazy obsessed man stalking a woman to this degree. Cairo station 1958 youssef chahine releases allmovie. To optimize your experience with your screen reading software, please use our website, which has the same tickets as our and websites. Kinawi, a physically challenged peddler who makes his living selling newspapers in the central cairo train station, is obsessed by hannouma, an attractive young woman who sells drinks. Sexual motifs pop up regularly, including the playful jest of soda bottles and steaming train whistles. So it was surprising to see what is essentially one of these films coming from egypt in 1958, 2 years before psycho and with the whole trope fully formed. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing cairo station near you. Cairo station 1958 streaming ita film completo in italiano e gratis. It was entered into the 8th berlin international film festival. The classic film cairo station 1958 was made at ramses station.
Cairo station 1958 movie moviefone a newspaper dealer kidnaps the woman he loves, with tragic consequences. The women there all shun him because of his mild handicap, though he has little trouble walking. Aug 06, 2016 cairo station is from 1958 so that means that this is the nasser period and some sort of nationalistic postcolonial awakening is going on with the nationalization of the suez canal and a war where israel kicked their butt, but france and britain got humiliated. A beautiful and thrilling mixture of pagliacci and. Frankenstein meets the spacemonster 1965 horror, scifi full length film duration. Tcc timeless classics now in color recommended for you. Chahine, the film director, stars as qinawi, a young man who shows up in cairo train station.
Feb 22, 2014 house on haunted hill full movie vincent price carol ohmart tcc ai color duration. A newsstand owner takes pity on qinawi, a lame young man, and gives him a job selling newspapers in the cairo train station. There is nothing inherently wrong with cairo station. The misfit crippled resides in a makeshift shack by the tracks, that has bikinidressed western women as pinup cutups plastered on his walls.
While she treats kinawi in a sympathetic way and jokes with him about a possible relationship, she is actually in love with abu sri, a strong and respected porter at the station who is struggling to unionize. Overall it makes a for an okay movie, but it just is not that interesting to me. A newspaper dealer kidnaps the woman he loves, with tragic consequences. At the center of the movieset entirely in and around cairos central train station is qinawi chahine, an introverted, disabled homeless man, who is hired as. Apart from the fine marriage of genre styles, director youssef chahine excels at weaving the palette for his neorealist setting. Cinematography was by alevise orfanelli, dialogue was by mohammad abu youssef and the story and screenplay were by abdel hai adib. Le beau serge is credited as the first french new wave feature.