I read more about this Egyptian film after finding it in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it was selected as the Egyptian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, but it did not make the final nominations, so I was more intrigued to watch it. Basically newsstand owner Madbouli (Hassan el Baroudi) takes pity on physically challenged peddler Qinawi (Youssef Chahine, also directing). He is given a job selling newspapers in the Cairo train station, but he is shunned by all the women there because of his mild handicap, although he has little trouble walking. Qinawi becomes obsessed with beautiful cold drink vendor Hannuma (Hind Rostom), but she is already engaged to husky luggage porter Abu Siri (Farid Shawqi), who is trying to organise a protest with his fellow workers against exploiting and abusive treatment from the manager. Hannuma treats Qinawi sympathetically, and makes a joke about a possible relationship, this prompts him to propose to her. He has fantasies about a home and family with her, but Hannuma rejects him, and Qinawi's obsession with her turns into madness. Qinawi reads a story in the newspapers about an unsolved murder, he is inspired to buy a knife and plots to kill Hannuma. Local policemen are trying to catch Hannuma and the other women illegally selling drinks, she asks Qinawi to take and hide her incriminating drink bucket. Qinawi seeks to lure her into a warehouse to pick up the bucket, but instead she asks a friend to get it instead. In the darkness, Qinawi is unaware that a different woman comes into the warehouse, he stabs her repeatedly, hides the body in a wooden crate. Qinawi gets Abu Siri to put the crate aboard a train, but the woman inside it is not dead, she is found, and the station is alerted. The workers Abu Siri tried to form a union with at first try to blame the attempted murder on him, but the would-be victim identifies the assailant. Meanwhile, unaware of her near-death escape, Hannuma goes to the warehouse to get her bucket. Qinawi chases her through the rail yard and catches her, he holds a knife to her head to keep a crowd of people away. The newsstand owner tells Qinawi that he will be allowed to marry Hannuma, he coaxes him into putting on what he thinks is a wedding garment. Qinawi then realizes he has been put into a straitjacket, he struggles, but is taken away by the authorities. It is the story of a disabled man with a deluded affection is driven to insanity, I thought it was going to a simple sad tale of a love story that can never be, but it turned dark, and the use of the location was great, I really liked it, a most interesting drama. Very good!
Review of Cairo Station
