THE CHILDREN’S TRAIN/ IL TRENO DEI BAMBINI

Italy, 2024, 104 minutes, Colour.

Barbara Ronchi, Serena Rossi, Stefano Accorsi, Christian Cervone, Ivan Zerbinati.

Directed by Cristina Comencini.

An Italian film, well worth seeing.

Even eight decades after the end of World War II, war stories continue to be made and appreciated. This film might be called an immediate-post-war film. The setting is Italy and the train travels from Naples in the South to Modena in the North.

But there is an arresting prologue to the film, the 1990s, a celebrated violinist, played by veteran Italian actor Stefano Accorsi, arriving to give a violin recital, a man with some prestige and talent. As he is about to go on stage, he receives a phone call telling him of the death of his mother. And the screenplay goes back to the immediate end of the war, the departure of the Germans, the arrival of the liberating forces and life in Naples in the aftermath of war destruction.

The first part of the film focuses on a young boy, Amerigo, Christian Cervone always convincing, living with his impoverished and illiterate mother, Serena Rossi, the story that her husband had gone to the United States for opportunities. We see the poverty, buildings and ruins, the children running free or involved in apprenticeships. In the background one of those smart men, fashionably dressed, who have benefited by the black market.

It is in this context that members of the Communist Party had devised a program for the children of the poor families. They are to go by train to Modena and be cared for by sympathetic families in the North, given some opportunity for family life, work, for learning skills, making friends. However, there is some popular antipathy towards the Communist Party, some fearmongering by older women, telling the mothers of the children that they will be shipped off to Siberia, that they will be eaten, that they will be put in ovens… Which does instil some fear in the children themselves. However, they board the train, nervously travelling but then welcomed in Modena.

Amerigo is young, nervous, away from home, without a family to take him, allotted to a former partisan, Barbara Ronchi,  whose partner was killed during the war. She has no experience of being a mother. Much of the effectiveness of this drama is her response to Amerigo and his response to her, forming a great bond, but  his also benefiting, sometimes happily, sometimes being picked on as a Southerner, by the wider welcoming family, especially by the father who introduces Amerigo to the violin.

Then the drama of the return home, the benefit of life in the North, the hardships back again in the south, his mother sending him to be an apprentice, pawning his violin, cutting off his connections with the North.

In the latter part of the film, there is the pathos of the older Amerigo, after his violin recital, coming back to Naples, revisiting the neighbourhood, his house, the memories, affection he found in the North, and the regrets on his return home.

Recommended.

1. The title, tone? The children, the train, the destination, hope? Naples, World War II, occupation, liberation? An Italian story?
2. The visuals in Naples, homes, the streets, the markets, the war ruins? The contrast with Modena, less war damage, the homes, the farms, the town, celebrations? The musical score?
3. Introduction to Amerigo the violinist, celebrity, arriving, his status? His manner, the phone call, the death of his mother, to play or not to play, his decision, the performance? The flashbacks? After the death of his mother, the return to Naples, the house, discovering the violin, his mother buying it back? The memories, the grief, the happiness, learning the violin and playing it?
4. Post-war Naples, the effect of the occupation, poverty, hunger, the families, the absent men, migrations to America, Antonietta, with Amerigo, the work, lack of food, eking out an existence? The state of the many children, the lack of a future, the scenes at the market, the furs and the customers, the device of the rats and their fur, painting, the storm and the expose, Antonietta, illiterate, a hard life, for her son? Her relationship with the wheeler dealer, his family, the news later of his arrest?
5. The Communist scheme, the trains of happiness, the proposal, the mothers listening, the reaction of the children, Modena as the destination? Opportunities, education, and the return?
6. The mothers, the range of mothers, in favour of the scheme, their hopes? The opposition in the town, the women, the demonstration at the station, the ranting, the children being taken to Siberia, the poverty, eaten by the inhabitants, the ovens, the children hearing the stories and their fear? The compassionate official and her assistant, confronting the opponents? Helping the children onto the train? Amerigo, reluctant, his mother chasing the train?
7. The train ride, the drama, the children and their fears, sleeping? The plans to escape?
8. The arrival in Modena, the distribution of the children, the hosting families? Amerigo alone, Derna and her role as a partisan, the loss of her partner, living alone, taking on Amerigo? His friend from Naples, the young girl and her happiness?
9. Alice, Derna not used to having children, weariness, suspicions, the baking scene and Amerigo remembering the threat of children in the others? His room, more comforts? The meeting with the family, the kindly parents, the sympathetic father, the sons, the older sympathetic, the younger one jealous of Amerigo, their dealings, the fight at the fair, but then the growing friendship? Amerigo bullied at school, the Southerner? The happy scenes, meals, work and training? The young girl, Rosanna, afraid, not wanting to be there, the episode of finding the helmeted skeleton along the railway tracks?
10. The father, the violin, Amerigo and his curiosity, touching the violin, his natural capacity, the father encouraging him, the practice?
11. The time passing, Amerigo and the feeling of affection, Derna and her story, her partisan companion, his death, the effect of having the boy with her?
12. The fields, their greening, time to go home?
13. The return home, Amerigo and his sadness, the encounter with his mother, her harshness, sending him to work, as an apprentice, harsh? His reaction? Running away, going to the centre, discovering the letters and parcels from Modena and his mother not letting him have them? The pawning of the violin? His running away?
14. The happy return, the older Amerigo and his visit, his memories? The role of his mother, writing to Derna, sacrificing her son?