Netflix and other streaming platforms have had a very positive effect in entertainment. Despite their issues, the one thing that they have managed to do perfectly is bring cultures closer together by hosting movies and shows from different countries on their platform, delivering them to a greater audience than they would have had otherwise. The fact that their subtitles are some of the best in the business does not hurt either.
The main drawback? With all the entertainment in the world right at our fingertips it can be hard to choose what to watch, and it can turn a fifteen minutes discussion into an impassionate three hour debate on the merits of a movie or a show, so, to avoid a ruined night, we would like to make a recommendation that we are sure that you will like. Plus, it is a Netflix original, so it is available almost everywhere in the world.
Called The Children’s Train, this European drama, inspired by true events was released last December and has made the delight of audiences worldwide. Originally titled Il treno dei bambini, this film takes us back to post-World War II Italy, specifically to 1946. It follows the story of Amerigo, a seven-year-old boy from Naples who has never set foot outside his city and where he and his mother, Antonietta, struggle to survive in extreme poverty. Hoping to give her son a better chance at life, Antonietta makes a heartbreaking decision, she sends him to northern Italy, where wealthier families have agreed to take in impoverished children from the war-torn south.
Why this Netflix movie is so moving
Despite being a work of fiction, the movie is truly based in real historical events which is what gives it the heart wrenching realism that has made it acclaimed. After the devastation of World War II, Italy was in ruins, and southern families were hit the hardest. With many men lost to the war, women took on the responsibility of keeping their families afloat in an economy that had collapsed, but their efforts were often not enough, as the overall state of the country meant few opportunities and low wages.
The Italian Communist Party and the Unione Donne Italiane tried to change the status quo with a program that saw children from the poorest regions of the south be sent to wealthier families in the north who could provide them with food, shelter, and education, similar to how the British had sent London children to the countryside to spare their lives from the bombings to the city.
Historian Luca Martini explains the magnitude of the efforts “At least 70,000 children were transported on these so-called ‘Trains of Happiness.’ It was a desperate but necessary measure to ensure their survival.”
The problem with these types of programs is that the emotional impact of these decisions can never be quantified on a spreadsheet, and while it undoubtedly worked, thousands of children were saved from starvation and given a chance at a better life, it also created deep emotional struggles, as many kids formed bonds with their foster families and felt torn between two worlds.
The film captures this tension beautifully, exploring Amerigo’s integration in the North and then his reaction to being sent back with his mother and losing access to the privileges he had been given by his “foster” family. The fact that the creators do not shy away from the hard conversations and the actors commitment to the performance, it is almost impossible to watch it without feeling the weight of history.
With direction from acclaimed Italian filmmaker Cristina Comencini, known for her work in auteur cinema, the film brings both historical weight and emotional depth to the screen.