Le train des enfants

The Italians are brilliant at creating gems like this. Beautiful stories, top-class performers and wonderful musical scores.

Over the years we have seen films that dealt with the evacuation of English children from London and other cities to the countryside due to the aerial bombings during WW2. However, I was certainly not aware of this particular piece of history that, after WW2, saw 70,000 children from the South of Italy sent up North for a different reason, to avoid poverty and the terrible conditions they were living in. This film, set in those sad times, provides us with an insight of what it must have been like for the families.

Inevitably, tissues will be required at times and the gentle, haunting score by legendary Italian composer Nicola Piovani (who won an Oscar for "La Vita è Bella") enhances the entire production.

Strangely, the music credit (at the time of writing) is not shown on IMDB, or at least not in its usual position on the list.

Having watched this production you will likely be inspired, like me, to do some further research into this period of Italian history.

When you can't give your children a better future sometimes it's better to let others do that. That is not the parents place to decide but the child. The worst thing that can happen a child is not starvation but rejection. In many places a mothers love is a luxury and children are mistakes that happens. This movie is extremely good just showing that. It's not judgmental but fair with both the mother and the foster home. The acting of the children is extraordinary. The makeup and the locations take you on a journey into to the postwar era and how people managed to survive in such conditions. A very compelling filmic experience.

Italian director Cristina Comencini delivers a beautiful film about a mother's love and the innocence of being a child in an emotional and natural tone of a story that marked hundreds of lives in the midst of World War II .

Netflix allows us to enjoy this beautiful film based on the novel by Viola Ardone and that transports us to the beautiful story of Amerigo who in his innocence and in his love takes us through a story full of beautiful moments that unfortunately become too short. The delicate direction of Cristina Comencini captivates us with that delicacy of providing beautiful shots and a raw portrait, but always seen from the innocence of children, which allows us to have a film always with a hopeful tone. We are in the middle of a war, but both its script and its direction in a calculated way make you feel that it is present, but they never leave aside the true center of paying homage to all those children who had to leave their mothers to find love with another new family.

The film is intelligent because among its wonderful photography and its music it hides captivating performances by Serena Rossi and Barbara Ronchi, two lonely mothers filled with love for Amerigo, played in an exciting way by Christian Cervone, who with his charisma and tenderness carries on his shoulders a story full of emotions in all aspects.

On this occasion we are faced with a work that reminds us how sometimes linearity and simplicity work to captivate that necessary fiber in the spectator. It is a classic proposal, but with determination, it is a journey along two paths, the first the innocence of childhood and the second motherhood in two looks that show us that loving is also letting go and wanting is also knowing how to understand.

A beautiful film with all the blood and Italian love that once again brings us a great director, behind the camera and an emotional tribute to all those who grew up and adapted to this train of hope.

This is a beautiful little Italian gem. The over all production to include photography, sets, costumes and musical score are superb and in my opinion worth several awards.

The script is very simple although not too original as it reminds of some old fashioned Italian style seen several times before over the history of Italian film making. It probably reminds of Nuovo Cinema Paradiso or La Vita e' Bella but it also reminds of old Sophia Loren's films given the importance of the female characters.

However the story is still beautifully told and it is sweet and touching in its simplicity.

The acting is superb from all members of the cast , including the children.

It is an unexpected high quality film from Netflix which in my opinion would deserve recognition from the public and the critics. An old fashioned enjoyable and very touching beautiful film. I had a little tear at the end.

Watching Il Treno dei Bambini - The Children's Train was a deeply moving experience that left me tearful and reflective. The movie tells the true story of Treni della Felicità (Trains of Happiness), where some 70,000 Italian children were relocated temporarily from poverty-stricken southern regions to families in the north post-WWII (Ref: Wiki). Organized by the Italian Resistance and the Catholic Church, these trains rescued children from war's devastating effects. The movie masterfully weaves together historical facts and fiction, crafting a captivating narrative that transports viewers to wartime Italy.

For the children who were part of this remarkable endeavor, the experience was bittersweet. On one hand, they were given a chance to escape the horrors of war and find temporary solace in safer environments. On the other hand, they had to adapt to new and unfamiliar surroundings without their families.

As the children eventually returned to their homes, they faced the daunting task of readjusting to a life forever changed by the war. The movie also sheds light on Italy's post-war transformation, including the communist influence in northern regions and the struggle for women's literacy.

The Children's Train is a powerful and moving tribute to the courage and strength of the children and the families both on south and north. A beautiful heartwarming story. It left an indelible mark on my heart. A great watch, available on Netflix.