Opening Doorz

By Martin D’Souza | Opening Doorz Editorial | March 01, 2026

Rating: 4.5/5

The Essence: Amerigo has risen above the pain of poverty, but has he done justice to the sacrifice of his mother? Serena Rossi is magnificent as the strong-headed mother who sacrifices her meals and her dignity to make ends meet. She stands tall as a character your heart aches for. She is at the centre of the plot, yet on the periphery.

The innocence of youth and the exuberance of not knowing what tomorrow holds—it is this fragile spirit that Netflix’s Italian film, The Children’s Train (2024), captures and then slowly breaks. This lightness is our first passenger, and the first thing we lose. As the tracks stretch into an uncertain horizon, the film strips away the safety of childhood, leaving us with a story that is both beautiful and devastating.

The Children’s Train: A Fragile Spirit on the Tracks

As you get engrossed in the movie, you suddenly realise how much time has passed. It is only when the 141-minute runtime nears its end that a twist hits you in the gut: the journey must conclude. All the while, you find yourself hoping to stay within the life of Amerigo Speranza (Christian Cervone), the eight-year-old lad sent on a “happiness train” by his impoverished single mother.

From Amerigo boarding the train in Naples (sceptical like the others, not knowing what the station holds or who will hold his hand in Modena) to the moment he receives a violin, the scenes are intense, yet simple. Derna (Barbara Ronchi) and her brother Alcide (Ivan Zerbinati) reach out to embrace his poverty, pouring out the love and respectability that becomes the glue keeping the plot spinning.

When Amerigo returns home after a few months, life returns to its poverty of the past. He must now earn to help the household, and his mother, Antonietta (Serena Rossi), does not make things easier. She forbids him from playing his music and later pawns his violin to ensure the family has food. Eventually, Amerigo returns to Modena and the arms of Derna, who readily accepts him. It is only at the end that we learn that Derna had written to Antonietta about his arrival; his mother had replied that she was okay with him staying, and okay if she wanted to send him back.

A Mother’s Silent Love

This is the central conflict. The final scene shows a professional violin maestro, the adult Amerigo, walking into his old home in Naples after being informed of his mother’s death. Peering under the bed, he finds his old violin, the one his mother had retrieved after paying the 30-lira fee, and kept safely for him.

Tears drop. The heart stops. You are left wondering what could have been.

Antonietta clearly loved her son. However, struggling as a single mother abandoned by her husband, she was unable to provide the childhood Amerigo deserved. For mothers like her, the “Happiness Train” was the best and only option. But there are heavy emotions at stake: for the children, their foster homes, and their families. How does one navigate these relationships while trying to maintain one’s sanity amid such emotional turmoil?

Director Cristina Comencini darts these emotions into you, making the film feel more about the viewer than the protagonists on screen. From having no shoes and counting the footsteps of others as a child, to being asked which pair he would like to wear for a concert, the opening scene suddenly makes sense.

The Impossible Choice of Survival

Amerigo has risen above the pain of poverty, but has he done justice to the sacrifice of his mother? Serena Rossi is magnificent as the strong-headed mother who sacrifices her meals and her dignity to make ends meet. She stands tall as a character your heart aches for. She is at the centre of the plot, yet on the periphery.

Meanwhile, Barbara Ronchi and Ivan Zerbinati puncture the heart with moments of simplicity and divine energy. Amerigo finds heaven, but his mother is still in hell. How does one choose in a plight like this?

The screenplay and simple storytelling capture the viewer from the very first scene, pulling you into the soul of the film. The Children’s Train focuses on the after-effects of war, the generosity of strangers, the pain of strained relationships, and ultimately, the impossible choice an eight-year-old must make just to ensure he has shoes on his feet.

This is a must-watch film. It is not only a story that rips your soul; it is art in motion. The Children’s Train is more about the emotions of the viewer than it is about the characters on screen.

CREDITS
Producer: Carlo Degli Esposti, Nicola Serra
Director: Cristina Comencini
Star Cast: Barbara Ronchi, Serena Rossi, Christian Cervone, Stefano Accorsi, Ivan Zerbinati

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