CHILDREN’S TRAIN, THE
(director/writer: Cristina Comencini; screenwriters: based on the novel by Viola Ardone, Furio Andreotti, Camille Duguay, Giulia Calenda; cinematographer: Italo Petriccione; editor: Esmeralda Calabria; music: Nicola Piovani; cast: Barbara Ronchi (Derna), Serena Rossi (Antonietta Speranza), Stefano Accorsi (Amerigo, Adult), Christian Cervone (Amerigo Speranza); Runtime: 106; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Nicola Serra, Carlo Degli Esposti; Netflix; 2024-Italy-in Italian with English subtitles)
“A touching feel-good film.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
An historical drama, using an episodic structure, to tell a fictional story based on a real one. It’s earnestly directed and written by female Italian filmmaker Cristina Comencini (“Zoo”/”Sex Story”). It’s based on the 2019 novel “Il treno dei bambini” by the Neopolitan author Viola Ardone, and is co-written by Furio Andreotti, Camille Duguay and Giulia Calenda. It’s a touching feel-good film, but is too didactic and too emotional.
The novel is inspired by real events that are reinterpreted from the period between 1945 and 1952 post-war period. The story is about poor children from the south of Italy transported by train to live with wealthy families in the north, where they are sheltered, educated and properly fed. This project known as the “trains of happiness” program” was sponsored by the Italian Communist Party. It’s estimated that 70,000 children took part in the program.
The featured story is about the eight-year-old Amerigo Speranza (Christian Cervone), who lives in poverty in the alleys of the slums of Naples with his loving but ignorant mother Antonietta (Serena Rossi). Against his will he’s forced to live with a family in the north, in a small village in the Emilian countryside. The story is told from the POV of Amerigo.
When Amerigo returns home a year later, mom is jealous of how much her son has changed and can’t handle that she will not again be able to care for him in the same bossy way as before. Years later the kid now an adult and played by Stefano Accorsi will realize how his mom’s selfish love held him back from developing into a better person.
Barbara Ronchi gives a wonderful performance as the refined and generous substitute mother up north, who makes sure her charge is loved and well-looked after, though seemingly caring more about her party affiliation than anything else.
This project was much objected to by the Christian Democrats political party, calling it communist propaganda. But the film adequately tells how that controversial program changed lives in a better way for most of the children. It’s well-acted, but the story never excited me.
It played at the Rome Film Festival.
REVIEWED ON 3/25/2025 GRADE: B-
dennisschwartzreviews.com