'Cairo Station' wastes no time at all, as "news agent" Madbouli (Hassan el Baroudi) immediately imparts narration that launches the narrative. From there the setting and characters are firmly established: laborers in and around the indicated train depot, struggling with hard work, low pay, and sometimes dangerous conditions. This foundation alone is ripe with storytelling possibilities, but the film-makers hone in on a few particular characters to tell weave a decidedly dark tale of obsession.
There are obvious underlying themes of labor rights and collective action, and gender violence. Less plain but still more significant are focuses on toxic masculinity and perceived entitlement to sexual gratification - all too ageless problems that didn't truly begin to come to the forefront as universal social ills until at least a few decades after 'Cairo Station' premiered. It feels important to also mention content warnings for ableism, sexism, and animal cruelty. This is a particularly unpleasant crime drama, and the cultural tenor at the time doesn't necessarily convey just how grim it ultimately is.
The writing feels a little bit uneven, especially where the characters are concerned. Dubious Qinawa and major supporting character Abu-Serih are given rather static personalities - the latter temperamental and strong-headed, the former creepy and unwell. Actors Youssef Chahine and Farid Shawqi (Qinawa and Abu-Serih, respectively) are to be given credit for injecting these characters with as much liveliness and nuance as they do, because I don't feel like writers Mohamed Abu Youssef and Abdel Hay Adib made them very complete. The character of Hanouma, meanwhile, is a little bit all over the place: at times she seems too kind-hearted for her own good, and deceitful at others; playful, and demanding; well-meaning, and cruel. If nothing else, it's certainly true that Hind Rustum gives a great performance in that prominent role, and whatever the personality given to Hanouma in the writing at a particular moment, she holds the picture steady with admirable vigor and range.
There's also a subplot - more like a C-plot - that is at most a tertiary concern of the movie. It ties in only very loosely with the thematic bent of the narrative, and its inclusion just feels kind of weird and overall out of place.
Yet the unfortunate deficiencies don't wholly ruin our enjoyment. Costume design, blood effects, and makeup are swell. While the characters aren't necessarily developed well, the central plot is rather solid. Tensions slowly roll forward throughout, until building to a sudden, terrible, thrilling crescendo in the final length. Chahine doubles as both star and director, and behind the camera he orchestrates some excellent, riveting scenes, and a few particularly eye-catching shots. All of 'Cairo Station' is quite engaging, but the darker the story turns, the more inescapably engrossing it becomes.
I don't think it's entirely perfect, but there's no question it's generally a well-rounded, very well made feature. Rough though the characters may be, in them and the broad thrust of the narrative one can discern a certain similarity to film noir, a sense echoed in the notably fast pace of these 76 minutes. Themes and content may broach unwelcome topical areas for some viewers, yet at large 'Cairo Station' is a very entertaining, solid crime drama. I'd have no qualms recommending this to just about anyone - more than 60 years later, it holds up pretty darn well.
There are obvious underlying themes of labor rights and collective action, and gender violence. Less plain but still more significant are focuses on toxic masculinity and perceived entitlement to sexual gratification - all too ageless problems that didn't truly begin to come to the forefront as universal social ills until at least a few decades after 'Cairo Station' premiered. It feels important to also mention content warnings for ableism, sexism, and animal cruelty. This is a particularly unpleasant crime drama, and the cultural tenor at the time doesn't necessarily convey just how grim it ultimately is.
The writing feels a little bit uneven, especially where the characters are concerned. Dubious Qinawa and major supporting character Abu-Serih are given rather static personalities - the latter temperamental and strong-headed, the former creepy and unwell. Actors Youssef Chahine and Farid Shawqi (Qinawa and Abu-Serih, respectively) are to be given credit for injecting these characters with as much liveliness and nuance as they do, because I don't feel like writers Mohamed Abu Youssef and Abdel Hay Adib made them very complete. The character of Hanouma, meanwhile, is a little bit all over the place: at times she seems too kind-hearted for her own good, and deceitful at others; playful, and demanding; well-meaning, and cruel. If nothing else, it's certainly true that Hind Rustum gives a great performance in that prominent role, and whatever the personality given to Hanouma in the writing at a particular moment, she holds the picture steady with admirable vigor and range.
There's also a subplot - more like a C-plot - that is at most a tertiary concern of the movie. It ties in only very loosely with the thematic bent of the narrative, and its inclusion just feels kind of weird and overall out of place.
Yet the unfortunate deficiencies don't wholly ruin our enjoyment. Costume design, blood effects, and makeup are swell. While the characters aren't necessarily developed well, the central plot is rather solid. Tensions slowly roll forward throughout, until building to a sudden, terrible, thrilling crescendo in the final length. Chahine doubles as both star and director, and behind the camera he orchestrates some excellent, riveting scenes, and a few particularly eye-catching shots. All of 'Cairo Station' is quite engaging, but the darker the story turns, the more inescapably engrossing it becomes.
I don't think it's entirely perfect, but there's no question it's generally a well-rounded, very well made feature. Rough though the characters may be, in them and the broad thrust of the narrative one can discern a certain similarity to film noir, a sense echoed in the notably fast pace of these 76 minutes. Themes and content may broach unwelcome topical areas for some viewers, yet at large 'Cairo Station' is a very entertaining, solid crime drama. I'd have no qualms recommending this to just about anyone - more than 60 years later, it holds up pretty darn well.