The Postman
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Storyline
Pablo Neruda, the famous Chilean poet, is exiled to a small island for political reasons. On
the island, the unemployed son of a poor fisherman is hired as an extra postman due to the
huge increase in mail that this causes. Il Postino is to hand-deliver the celebrity's mail to
him. Though poorly educated, the postman learns to love poetry and eventually befriends
Neruda. Struggling to grow and express himself more fully, he suddenly falls in love and
needs Neruda's help and guidance more than ever.
The Postman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Il Postino is a 1994 Italian film directed byMichael Radford. The film was originally released in theU.S.asThe
Postman.[1][2] However, since the release ofKevin Costner'post-
apocalypticfilm of the same name, the film has been released on DVD as Il Postino: The Postman, and
English language film critics often refer to the film by its Italian title alone.
The film tells a fictional story in which the real lifeChileanpoetPablo Nerudaforms a relationship with a
simplepostmanwho learns to lovepoetry. It starsPhilippe Noiret, Massimo Troisi, andMaria Grazia Cucinotta.
The screenplay was adapted byAnna Pavignano, Michael Radford, Furio Scarpelli, Giacomo Scarpelli, and
Massimo Troisi from the novelBurning PatiencebyAntonio Skármeta. Skármeta himself had previously
adapted his novel for the screen in1985Burning Patience
Writer/starMassimo Troisipostponed heart surgery so that he could complete the film. The day after filming
was completed, he suffered a fatalheart attack.
Plot
Pablo Neruda, the famousChileanpoet andcommunist, is exiled to a small island inItalyfor political
reasons. His wife accompanies him. On the island, local Mario Ruoppolo is dissatisfied with being a
fisherman like his father. Mario looks for other work and is hired as a temporary postman with only one
customer. To get the job, he must declare himself a communist to keep the postmaster happy. He uses
his bicycle to hand deliver the mail. Though poorly educated, the postman eventually befriends Neruda
and becomes further influenced by Neruda's political views and poetry.
Meanwhile, Mario falls in love with a beautiful young lady, Beatrice Russo, who works in her aunt's village.
cafe. He is shy with her, but he enlists Neruda's help. He constantly asks Neruda if the metaphor he used
was suitable for the poem. Mario is able to better communicate with her and express his love through
poetry. Despite the aunt's strong disapproval of Mario, due to his illicit poetry in which he refers to her
breasts, Beatrice responds favorably.
The two are married. The priest refuses to allow Mario to have Neruda as his best man, due to politics;
however, this is soon resolved. This was because Di Cosimo was the politician in office in the area with
theChristian Democrats. At the wedding, Neruda receives the welcome news that there is no longer a
Chilean warrant for his arrest, so he returns to Chile.
Mario writes a letter but never gets any reply. Several months later he receives a letter from Neruda.
However, to his dismay, it is actually from his secretary, asking Mario to send Neruda's old belongings.
back to Chile. While there Mario comes upon an oldphonographand listens to the song he first heard
when he met Neruda. Moved by this he makes recordings of all the beautiful sounds on the island onto a
cassette including the heartbeat of his soon-to-be-born child.
Several years later, Neruda finds Beatrice and her son, Pablito (named in honor of Neruda) in the same
old inn. From her, he discovers that Mario had been killed before their son was born. Mario had been
scheduled to recite a poem he had composed at a large communist gathering in Naples; the
the demonstration was violently broken up by the police. She gives Neruda recordings of village sounds that
Mario had made for him.
[edit]Cast
. Philippe Noiret–Pablo Neruda
. Massimo Troisi–Mario Ruoppolo
. Maria Grazia Cucinotta–Beatrice Russo
. Renato ScarpaTelegrapher
. Linda MorettiMrs. Rosa
[edit]Setting
Whereas the novel and the 1985 film were set in Chile, with Neruda living in his home atIsland
Blackaround 1970, Il Postino moves the setting to Italy in about 1950. The film is set and was partially
filmed on the island ofSalina, of the volcanicAeolian Islandchain off the north coast of Sicily. One
unfortunate victim of the film's popularity has been Pollara Beach on the island, which has suffered
erosion from motorboats and vandalism from tourists since the film was produced. [3]