The Children's Train

2024 1h 46m IT

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 355

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In late 1940s Italy, a mother makes the difficult decision to send her son to the north, where he catches glimpses of a new life away from poverty.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

NetflixSubscription

Netflix Standard with AdsSubscription

Cast

Barbara Ronchi
Derna
Serena Rossi
Antonietta
Christian Cervone
Amerigo
Stefano Accorsi
Amerigo Adulto
Francesco Di Leva
Capa ‘e Fierro
Antonia Truppo
Maddalena Criscuolo
Monica Nappo
Zandragliona
Dora Romano
Pachiochia

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Cristina Comencini
Writers: Furio Andreotti, Cristina Comencini, Giulia Calenda
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 5

ERA

Did you know

Released 2 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 5

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Cristina Comencini, shot by Italo Petriccione. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 5

ERA

Did you know

Editor Esmeralda Calabria shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 5

CAST

Did you know

Barbara Ronchi and Serena Rossi and Christian Cervone carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 5

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt29242846 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Cristina Comencini directs. Italo Petriccione behind the camera. Esmeralda Calabria cuts. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 2 years ago.
2Directed by Cristina Comencini, shot by Italo Petriccione. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Esmeralda Calabria shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Barbara Ronchi and Serena Rossi and Christian Cervone carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt29242846 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Italo Petriccione
Editing: Esmeralda Calabria
Production design: Maurizio Leonardi
Costume design: Chiara Ferrantini
Makeup / hair: Frédérique Foglia
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Status: Released
Original language: IT
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: The Children's Train (2024)

Also by

Cristina Comencini

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-08-09
★ 7/10
With the war finally over and the communists and the fascists vying for control of the bombed out streets of Napoli, "Antonietta" (Serena Rossi) makes a very difficult choice. She has nothing and that isn't likely to change, so when an opportunity comes tpo send her urchin of a child "Amerigo" (Christian Cervone) to a camp further north where at least he will be fed and cared for for one month, she decides to sign him up. Despite warnings from many of her neighbours that these are just political indoctrination camps he is despatched to meet and live with "Derna" (Barbara Ronchi). Both are initially very wary of the other, and "Amerigo" is all too used to doing what he wanted when he wanted - so any sort of discipline was going to be a struggle, but as he is warmly embraced by her and pretty much the entire village we begin to see signs of the real character emerging and it appears he might just have some talent with a violin! At the end of the month, it is time to go home but with his subsistence mother still no more capable of providing for him and with him finally knowing something of a mother's love elsewhere, what will the child do? This is told by way of a retrospective so we already know the answer to that, but for the most part this is still a touching and engaging portrayal of an enthusiastic young lad trying to grow up in a post-war Italy where he was but one of many of the hopeless left to fend for themselves in a country torn by war and civil strife. Despite her latterly sparing appearances, Rossi also delivers quite powerfully as a woman conflicted between the neccessities of getting by - not always legally - and her aspirations for her son whom she clearly loves but then, she isn't that much more than a girl herself. Ronchi proves to be the perfect foil for the young Cervone as she imbues her initially anxious character with something really quite relatable. Indeed as we progress it becomes quite clear that though from a large and supportive family herself, love isn't an emotion she has too much experience of either. The production design looks authentic as it helps the photography and the delicately crafted score to contrast the ghastliness of the ruins in which they live with the relative prosperity of a northern village that hasn't a great deal more, but has not the remnants of the battle to contend with in quite the same way. Cervone has something of Dickens's "Artful Dodger" to him and presents us with a loveably engaging persona to top off a stylish look at communities and people dealing with the real price of victory.

Production companies