باب الحديد (aka Cairo Station) (1958)

As a serial killer terrorizes Cairo, a mentally unstable disabled newspaper seller (Youssef Chahine) working at a train station is obsessed with a sultry beverage seller (Hind Rostom). This obsession will lead to tragedy. Directed by Youssef Chahine (THE BLAZING SUN). A disturbing film that defies genre classification. Is it a thriller? A melodrama? Social commentary? An Arab equivalent of Italian neorealism? All of the above? A compelling peek at the Egyptian working class that takes a dicey chance by making its sociopathic protagonist sympathetic. Rejected by Egyptian audiences when first released, it was a disaster at the box office. The ensuing years have shown a new respect for the film and it's now considered an important entry in Egyptian cinema. Beautifully shot in stark B&W by Alevise Orfanelli with strong performances all around. Curiously, there's a minor romantic subplot that isn't explored that makes me wonder what it's doing in the movie. With Farid Shawqui and Hassan El Baroudi.