REVIEW: PARABLE OF A RAILWAY STREET
A Lengthy Parable
by Olawale Oluwadahunsi
Kamo Kwele’s Parable of the Railway Street is a minor-slice-of life look at the dashed hopes of two friends who find their dreams of a better education and their aspiration of becoming successful businessmen unattainable.
Set in a train station, the film introduces Drama and Nqubeko two friends who had their high hopes of becoming successful people dashed because they lack the means and support. At the train station Drama, the more playful character, nudges Nqubeko by the edge of the platform. They walk the street as Drama points out a pole with an exposed switchboard. They throw pebbles at the pole, damaging it in the process. A woman in the neighborhood has died from tampering with the same pole. So it is unsafe to throw pebbles at the pole. An argument ensues and Nqubeko threatens to report the incident to the police, a move Drama takes seriously since they both threw rocks at the pole. The rest of the story raises the question of whether the two disparate souls can resolve their differences.
Clearly a low budget film, a reason the technical glitches can be overlooked, Parable of the Railway Street runs for 61 minutes and that is the movie’s major minus. It is 20 minutes too long. The lengthy and cheesy dialogue and too many moments of jest that didn’t connect stretched the movie.
Nevertheless, Kwele pulled a good cast and does so well in the directing and editing. There was an assured directing and editing that makes it enjoyable to watch. But all of these fall apart when you think of the lengthy dialogue and over stretched scenes.
