Cairo Station

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Leaburn O @RT35452347 May 23, 2023 Stands up well to the passage of time. This story about an outsider and his disturbing besotted obsession with a pretty lady, soon veers into dangerous territory. Seems quite a controversial topic for its day. Enjoyed it though as it felt very atmospheric. See more

Kevin L @Lakeman Apr 30, 2022 Yeah, this was not for me. I couldn't believe any of it. Just all seemed incredibly fake, forced, and frenetic. The acting was very forced. some of it laughably bad; which more reviews would admit if they weren't all written by the same ilk that are afraid to knock anything of this kind to not seem out of touch or to not get this 'neorealism' (whatever that is). The cat was better than any of the humans. Is this some sort of Arabic 'Oh Mice and Men'? Of Madhhuul and Men? 2 stars See more

William L @RT77267842 May 30, 2021 Egypt's lack of a particularly developed international film industry can be understood in part by historically limited opportunity - a monarchy that limited expression until its dissolution in 1952 was closely followed by a similar effect when the process was nationalized in 1966. But to say that there was no capable or interesting expression in the medium by Egyptian production teams, particularly in those intervening years, would likely be a mistake, and one film that has emerged in recent decades as a representative of that belief is Chahine's Cairo Station. A sexually charged thriller that focuses on repression and gender dynamics within a country undergoing social changes (an Egypt where characters weave between the statues of pharaohs while peddling Coca-Cola), the film is equal parts Hitchcock and Neorealist. Chahine brings together a diverse cast of individuals whose primary shared trait is the station itself, the lifeblood from which individuals earn a substantial or impoverished living, and uses the differences between them to illustrate class and social struggles peculiar to Egypt, as well as taking on an early attempt at disassociative gender roles, with his own character viewing Rostom's Hannuma as an idealized figure who must be altered when she doesn't adhere to the image he's crafted out of magazine cutouts. The two halves of the film (exploring organized labor and male/female relationships) feel relatively distinct from one another, and the former is not nearly as compellingly designed, but the ambition is certainly notable. The arguments over labor meetings just don't seem to strike the same chord as blood dripping out of a damaged shipping crate onto an oblivious attendant's shoe. With a who's who of midcentury Egyptian acting and production talent (particularly Chahine's own frustrated, delusional Qinawi), Cairo Station deserves a watch as a film with a domestic focus and theme, but a series of clearly international influences and an engaging narrative. (3.5/5) See more

georgan g @RT98616417 Feb 14, 2021 Interesting from a cultural and film history perspective. See more

Jan 24, 2021 Brilliantly well directed. I loved how we had so many glimpses of so many different stories that just happened to occur around the central plot. See more

s r @ScottR Feb 10, 2018 1001 movies to see before you die. A true Egyptian classic that has stood the test of time. See more

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Cairo Station

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