Central do Brasil (1998)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Walter Salles

Writers:

Marcos Bernstein (writer)
João Emanuel Carneiro (writer)

Release Date:

20 November 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He was looking for the father he never knew. She was looking for a second chance.

Plot:

An emotive journey of a former school teacher, who write letters for illiterate people, and a young boy, whose mother has just died, in search for the father he never knew.

Plot Keywords:

Letter | Boy | Teacher | Brazil | Human Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 29 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Fernanda Montenegro	...	Dora
Marília Pêra	...	Irene
Vinícius de Oliveira	...	Josué
Soia Lira	...	Ana
Othon Bastos	...	Cesar
Otávio Augusto	...	Pedrão
Stela Freitas	...	Yolanda
Matheus Nachtergaele	...	Isaías
Caio Junqueira	...	Moisés
Socorro Nobre	...	Dora's Client
Manoel Gomes	...	Dora's Client
Roberto Andrade	...	Dora's Client
Sheyla Kenia	...	Dora's Client
Malcon Soares	...	Dora's Client
Maria Fernandes	...	Dora's Client

Also Known As:

Central Station (UK) (USA)
Central do Brasil (France)
Estación central (Mexico) (Peru) [es]
Brasils hjerte (Norway) [no]
Central Station (Germany) [de]
Central do Brasil (Italy) [it]
Dworzec nadziei (Poland) [pl]
Estación central de Brasil (Spain) [es]
Központi pályaudvar (Hungary) [hu]
Kentrikos stathmos (Greece) [el]
Merkez istasyonu (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

113 min | Canada:115 min | Finland:110 min | Netherlands:108 min | Germany:108 min

Country:

Brazil | France

Language:

German | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:12 | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12/9 | France:U | Germany:6 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:12 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Central do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Company:

Canal+

Trivia:

When Fernanda Montenegro set up her table at Central Station, real people approached her to write letters for them. Some of these real talks were incorporated by director Walter Salles and appear in the movie.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Dora's Client: [dictating a letter] My darling, My heart belongs to you. No matter what you've done, I still love you. I love you. While you're locked in there all those years, I'll be locked up out here, waiting for you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in O Outro Lado da Rua (2004)

Soundtrack:

Ruínas da Babilônia

There are movies and there are MOVIES!!

I was surprised when I first saw Central do Brasil. First, because, living in Brasil, I have had the chance to see the rise and fall of our movie production. Suddenly, a powerful cinematographic milestone comes as a delightful surprise to movie lovers down here. A few things must be said: it's pretty obvious that Central do Brasil is too much of a real and daring movie for the Academy. It's almost a relief that it didn't get any Oscars, but was praised all over the world, winning more than 50 ( !!!) prizes in Europe, Asia and Americas. For those who find it boring, it's time to reavaluate your concepts on what good cinema is. Stop seeing The Patriots and Independence Days that infect America's so-called Industry, and try to research a little bit more on sense and sensibility!!