Central Station (1998)

Central Station

Call No: PN1997 .C3857 1998

Every once and a while, I come across a film that uses the quest motif. This is typically a film in which the main characters must go on a journey or quest, and undergo an emotional transformation during the physical movement of travelling. I first learned about this kind of story and film motif in elementary school, where the example used was the classic The Lion King and The Lord of the Rings. While I have seen other films and read other stories that employ this technique, those two examples have always been the ones that I’ve found embody the conventions best. I’m now happy to include Central Station into that list.

When a tragic accident kills his mother, Josue is left without any family in Rio. Familiar with the boy because of a chance encounter, the unmarried and embittered Isadora offers to find somewhere for him to stay. But the stubborn Josue has plans of his own – he’s going to travel to find the father he’s never known. With a combination of guilt and anger, Isadora comes along. This is the trip that will change two complete strangers into friends, and transform their trip into a journey that will stay with them forever.

I find that the characters that stay with me the most are the ones that I engage with directly. I enjoy the character of Tony Stark from the Iron Man franchise, but I connect on an emotional level with Bruce Wayne from Batman because of his struggles. I don’t always agree with what he does, but his actions always make me feel something other than entertainment. As I mentioned in my review of The Seventh Seal, I didn’t like the character of Jons at first, but through his actions and changes, I found him to be my favourite. I feel the same way about Dora in this film. I didn’t enjoy her character at first, but throughout the film I began to feel for her more and more. By the end of the film I felt as though I knew her and understood her pains, feeling them myself.

Dora and Josue keep crossing paths inside the busy Central Station.

When I looked up some more information about the film and watched some original trailers for it, I found that a great deal of the hype about the film was in direct relation to Fernanda Montenegro, who plays Dora in the film. While I have no doubts of the star power of the actress, I feel obligated to say that while there wasn’t much in terms of character development, the little boy who played Josue in the film was incredible. I was amazed at the calibre of acting he carried just in his facial expression and his body language. I find it a real tragedy that he hasn’t really done any larger roles since this film. He’s a treat to watch.

All in all, if you’re looking for a sweet and emotionally-driven film to watch on a rainy afternoon, I would recommend this one. The acting is top-notch, the cinematography is excellent, the story is heartfelt and the music is haunting. What more could you ask for in a film?