The Children's Train (Personal Opinion)

Yesterday I found a film on Netflix that truly touched me deeply and moved me almost to tears, but not for the reasons I expected. It's called The Children's Train, an Italian film based on a book I'm about to read because I have it as an ebook. Since I haven't read the book yet, I don't know if the film's plot follows the original. The film tells the story of a mother, Antonietta, and her eight-year-old son, Amerigo Speranza, who, like most families in Naples, are trying to survive amidst extreme poverty and the ruins left by the recent Second World War. In the midst of this bleak situation, a glimmer of hope emerges: the Communist Party offers to take all the children north, where they would be taken in by foster families who would provide for their education and food. So, they all board the train and travel, facing separation from their parents, their homeland, and their customs.

Ayer encontré en Netflix una película que de verdad movió las fibras más sensibles de mi corazón y me conmovió casi hasta las lágrimas pero no por las razones que yo pensaba. Se trata de El Tren de los Niños, una película italiana basada en un libro que precisamente estoy por leer porque lo tengo en EBook, así que como aún no lo he leido, no sé si la trama de la película se ajusta a la original. La película trata sobre una madre, Antonietta y su hijo de ocho años, Amerigo Speranza, los cuales, al igual que la mayoría de las familias en Napoles intentan sobrevivir en medio de la pobreza extrema y las ruinas que dejó la reciente segunda guerra mundial. En medio de todo este panorama surge una luz de esperanza, el partido comunista ofrece llevar a todos los niños hacia el norte, donde serían recibidos por familias sustitutas que se encargarían de su educación y alimentación, así que todos deben abordar el tren y viajar, enfrentando así la separación de sus padres, su tierra y sus costumbres.

At first, guided by the film's title, I thought it was about the children's journey to a concentration camp, but fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. In this case, the train didn't symbolize a journey to death (as in other war films). Here, the train represents hope for the less fortunate families. It's a very difficult time for everyone because, although the war is over and Italy has been liberated from occupation and tyranny, they still have to deal with the aftermath: poverty, disease, hunger, and uncertainty. What should a parent do in this situation? Obviously, prioritize the well-being of their children, but this can be extremely difficult when it involves separation (and I say this as a mother).

Al inicio yo estaba pensando, dejandome guiar por el título de la película, que se trataba de un viaje de los niños hacia un campo de concentracion, pero afortunadamente nada más lejos de la realidad, en este caso el tren no simbolizaba un viaje a la muerte (como en otras películas sobre la guerra) aqui el tren representa la esperanza de las familias menos favorecidas, es una etapa muy dificil para todos porque si bien ya no hay guerra e italia fue liberada de la ocupacipon y la tiranía, todavía debían lidiar con las secuelas; la pobreza, las enfermedades, el hambre y la incertudumbre. ¿Qué debe hacer un padre ante esto? Obviamente priorizar el bienestar de sus hijos, pero esto podría resultar extremadamente dificil cuando implica una separación (y lo digo como madre)

However, rumors fueled by political prejudices naturally begin to circulate: "The communists will eat your children," "They'll cut off your hands," "They'll throw you alive into the ovens." A people who have lived immersed in the terror of war were certainly going to feel fear, and that fear would be passed on to their children. But the film shows us that not everything is as it seems, not everything is as you've been told. Nevertheless, this misunderstanding and confusion generates some very funny scenes within the film that serve as a welcome respite after the bitter pill of separation.

The film's setting is stunning; it truly feels like 1946. But what surprised me most was the thinness of the boy who plays the main character, Amerigo (I don't know if he was already that thin or if they asked him to lose weight), but it's striking. The acting was very good, but what stands out is the quality of the plot, the script, and the message it conveys. It emphasizes that maternal love can involve enormous sacrifices; letting go is sometimes better than holding on. A mother can face the most profound loneliness but will never watch her child die of hunger or disease. However, it's not an easy process.

With the exception of a bombing scene at the beginning, the film doesn't show overly explicit or violent scenes, since, as I mentioned, it's set in a post-war era. So I think it can be watched as a family with proper guidance, as it shows us the importance of feeling grateful for what we have and appreciating the sacrifices a mother is capable of making for her children.