Hello, friends. I recently had the chance to rewatch this amazing movie, and I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it yet. It’s a Brazilian film called "Central do Brasil".
This movie, beyond its chronological or structured storyline, tells the story of a young orphan boy who, after losing his mother, embarks on a journey to find his father. He is accompanied on this journey by a woman who, at first, is reluctant to help him. In fact, their relationship starts off on the wrong foot.
However, if we look deeper, we see that this woman, although already an older adult, was once a child too. She has a story, a life behind her. The movie portrays Brazil as chaotic and harsh, especially toward children and people in general. It’s as if Brazil, as depicted in the film, is like a teenager striving to move forward but filled with both light and shadow.
I love the emotional colors this movie conveys. From the very first scene, you see many stories: people visiting the woman to have her write letters for them are often trying to connect with someone they’ve lost or who is far away. That need to reconnect with a loved one, someone who took a part of their heart, is deeply moving.
This movie has a unique beauty—an innocence that even older adults still carry within them. The desire to feel, to love, or to recover someone important is a deeply touching theme. At the same time, it portrays Brazil as innocent in some parts, anxious in others, and also dangerous at times.
I want to talk about the woman’s story. Without giving too much away, so as not to spoil the movie, I can tell you that she also experienced abandonment as a child. While the film doesn’t explicitly state this, based on her narrative, we understand that she was a girl who lost her father—not in the same way as the boy protagonist, but because she was kept away from him. Still, she searched for him with the innocence of a child.
When she finally found him as a young woman, she realized that the man she had idealized didn’t even know she existed. In fact, he even flirted with her, saying things like, “Where did such a beautiful woman come from?” This revelation broke her heart. That shift in perspective, that emotional break, was a pivotal moment in her life, transforming her into someone seemingly cold and indifferent toward others.
The society depicted in the film is hostile; only the strong survive, those who know how to adapt. So, when she first encounters the boy who lost his mother, her initial reaction is to think, “This happened to you; let’s move on. It’s not my problem.” But as the story unfolds, events take place that break your heart, shatter it, and then piece it back together.
This movie made me cry more than once, and that’s why I recommend it. It’s a love letter to South America, to life, and to hope. It’s a tribute to those who are orphaned, either of a father or mother, and who are searching for love. It portrays a society of orphans who, despite lacking responsible adult figures, managed to move forward and take the best parts of their absent parents to build a better Brazil.
Please watch it, and if you can, share your thoughts. Do you think I’m wrong, or do you share my vision of this film?
Image source: FilmAffinity (https://www.filmaffinity.com/)