Youssef Chahine’s masterpiece of noir neorealism becomes the first Egyptian film in the Criterion Collection
Cairo Station (باب الحديد) traces a tragic love triangle between three of the international train station’s denizens: aspiring union leader Abu Serih (Farid Shawki), his lively fiancée and unlicensed soda seller Hanuma (Hind Rostam), and Kenawi (Youssef Chahine), a disabled newspaper vendor whose infatuation with Hanuma borders on obsession. As Abu Serih rallies railway workers for fair conditions on the eve of his wedding, Kenawi’s desire spirals out of control. When Hanuma finally rejects him, Kenawi takes inspiration from a rural murder case, saves for a knife, and sets a disturbing plan in motion.
A landmark of Egyptian cinema by director Youssef Chahine and writer Abdel Hai Adib, Cairo Station uses its bustling setting as a liminal space of possibility, mirroring a nation and a film industry in transition. Egypt was less than a decade removed from monarchy and only two years past the Suez Crisis, which affirmed its leadership in African decolonization. Western influence still lingered, but a powerful sense of national identity was taking hold. In this “Hollywood on the Nile,” classes—urban and rural, upper and lower—could all seek their fortunes, with the station itself serving as a symbolic gateway.
Two years later, Cairo Station’s studio, Studio Misr, would be one of many major studios to be nationalized by the Egyptian Republic government, following a full government takeover of the Egyptian film industry by 1962. At the time of its release, Cairo Station’s polarizing blend of noir and neorealist elements stood in relative opposition to more popular, glossier, morality-forward melodramas. It was, somewhat to be expected, a critical and commercial flop–and nearly erased from cultural consciousness for two decades before its rediscovery in the 1970s.
Though under 80 minutes, Chahine’s film demands much of its audience. It confronts the poverty and corruption that clash with Egypt’s cultivated image of timeless culture projected to the West. It casts a wry eye towards backwards rural conservatism and populist modern social movements alike. Its lower-class characters claim a rare spotlight in Egyptian cinema, and one (played by Chahine himself) forces viewers to empathize with a man who ultimately reveals himself as a psychopath, especially once he acts on his violent impulses.
The film’s demands yield moving rewards. For a gritty neorealist noir, Cairo Station is an extremely empathetic film. It champions a disabled character while casting judgment on those who belittle or wrong him. Kenawi’s unrequited love is painful to watch, yet the rare moments when Hanuma seems to recognize his worth carry a Chaplinesque joy. Amid its tense love triangle, the film weaves a strikingly pro-union message, showing how the amoral forces of capitalism exploit tragedy to preserve a profitable status quo. In such a short runtime, Cairo Station casts an impressively large emotional net, trusting its audience to keep up with the captivating shades of gray cast by its characters and twists. With its blend of genres, styles, and characters, Cairo Station is a compelling slice-of-life drama about how the promise of a brighter future attracts everyone, yet it’s a dream only fulfilled for a select few.
Since its rediscovery two decades after its disastrous release, Cairo Station has earned widespread acclaim, culminating in its long-overdue distinction as the first Egyptian film in the Criterion Collection. One can only hope it paves the way for many more Egyptian films to follow.
Video/Audio
Criterion presents Cairo Station in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio in 1080p HD, sourced from a new 4K restoration undertaken by Criterion from the original 35mm negative. The uncompressed monaural soundtrack was also restored by Criterion from the original soundtrack negative. English subtitles are provided for the feature film and other special features not in English.
Criterion’s restoration proves to be one of their most meticulous–virtually zero frame abnormalities or framing judders are present, with healthy grain and clarity to contrasting shades of black and white bringing out the rich detail of Chahine’s film. From the film’s opening shots of the titular station and its individually distinct throngs of passengers, Cairo Station’s gritty, neorealist cinematography stands out among other period Egyptian cinema. Chahine and cinematographer Alevise Orfanelli’s camera finds vibrant life in the grimy corners, dusty railways, and abandoned train cars forgotten by station patrons. The accompanying monaural track also finds a wonderful harmony among the bustling foley work and sharp, balanced character dialogue. Having seen previous, well-worn transfers, seeing and hearing Cairo Station seem like it was shot yesterday marks yet another milestone restoration by Criterion.
Special Features
- Joseph Fahim: In a newly recorded interview with Criterion, famed Egyptian critic and the former director of programming at the Cairo International Film Festival provides vital cultural and social context on the production of Cairo Station, the filmographies and reputations of director-star Chahine, stars Rostam and Shawki, and writer Adib, and the originally dismal reputation of Chahine’s film before its rediscovery and reappraisal in the 1970s.
- Chahine…Why?: A 2009 retrospective documentary by Mona Ghandour on the making of Cairo Station, featuring interviews with Chahine, Adib, Rostom, and Shawki.
- Cairo as Seen by Chahine: Newly restored in 2K by Criterion, this is a 1991 short originally commissioned by French television. The hybrid docu-narrative was originally banned by the Egyptian censorship board for subverting the expected image projected of Cairo–allowing controversially candid shots of poverty, religion, and more. Critic Fahim accompanies the short with an introduction.
- Youssef Chahine: A 1998 Q&A with Chahine from the Midnight Sun Film Festival with Finnish film historian and director Peter Von Bagh.
- Booklet with an essay by Fahim, diving into further detail on Chahine’s extensive filmography in parallel with larger sociopolitical developments in Egypt, as well as the larger provocative themes of Chahine’s film.
Cairo Station is now available on Blu-ray and DVD courtesy of the Criterion Collection.
