The Multiple Tracks of ‘Central Station’

Brazil’s “Central Station” is a beautifully wrought, delicately told drama that recalls the late Italian director Vittorio DeSica’s humanistic classics such as “The Bicycle Thief” and “Umberto D.”

Winner this year of the Golden Globe for best foreign film and an Oscar nominee in the same category, “Central Station” chronicles the friendship and love that develop between an orphan boy (Vinicius de Oliveira) and a lonely, cynical retired teacher (Fernanda Montenegro), who writes letters for the illiterate at Rio de Janeiro’s Central Station.

The digital version of “Central Station” (Columbia TriStar, $25) is special in its own right. Not only does the disc feature the cast’s biographies and filmographies, a trailer, a beautiful wide-screen presentation and readable subtitles, it also offers an audio commentary--a rarity on foreign film DVDs. The commentary features Montenegro--who was nominated for the best actress Oscar and then complained in the Brazilian press when she lost to Gwyneth Paltrow--as well as comments from the film’s talented, young director, Walter Salles, and its veteran producer, Arthur Cohn (“The Garden of the Finzi-Continis”).

Though Montenegro’s thick accent and halting English make her difficult to understand at times, she has very strong, passionate feelings about the film, her character (whom she describes as an ugly old woman) and the Brazilian people. Though most of the world believes that the citizens of the South American country are poor and sad, Montenegro says, she believes they are a strong people, full of life and hope.

Salles, a former documentary filmmaker, explains that more than 300,000 people travel through Central Station every day. To add realism to the film, he used a hidden camera in certain scenes between the young boy and the woman at the station. To bring further realism to the piece, he got regular people from the station to dictate their own letters to Montenegro’s character. Cohn, who trained under the guidance of DeSica, talks about the parallels between the two directors and the universality of the film. “Central Station,” he points out, was so popular is his country of Switzerland that one out of four people who saw it had seen it more than once.

Also new: Universal has just released the DVD of its acclaimed sleeper hit from earlier this year, “October Sky” ($30), which is based on the true story of Homer Hickam Jr., a teenager living in a small West Virginia coal mine town who, after the Russians launched Sputnik in 1957, makes a rocket with three of his friends. The disc features the option of either a wide-screen or full-frame print, production notes, talent biographies, film highlights, the trailer and a short. Informative behind-the-scenes documentaries include interviews with director Joe Johnston, stars Jake Gyllenhall, Laura Dern and Chris Cooper and the actual Homer Hickam Jr., who recently retired from NASA. “October Sky” recently won the Humanitas award.

“The Jerry Springer Show” has now invaded the DVD market. “Jerry Springer: Too Hot for TV! 2000-Welcome to the Hellennium” (E-Realbiz, $20) probably will be a must-have for any Springer fan, but everyone else beware. These uncensored clips are filled with bare breasts, fights, hair pulling, food throwing and a plethora of dirty words. Also included is a short interview with Springer.

Prints of the 1936 Shakespearean film “As You Like It” that have been released on video and on television have been generally poor. That’s not the case with Image’s crisp, clean DVD edition ($25) of the Bard’s romantic comedy. Laurence Olivier is handsome and dashing as Orlando, but then-popular actress Elisabeth Bergner is a snooze as his love, Rosalind. Sophie Stewart, Henry Ainley, Peter Bull and Leon Quartermaine also star. Also included are the filmographies.