Il postino (1994)

Director:

Michael Radford

Writers:

Pablo Neruda (poems)
Anna Pavignano (writer)

Release Date:

14 June 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Dreams do come true.

Plot:

Simple Italian postman learns to love poetry while delivering mail to a famous poet; he uses this to woo local beauty Beatrice.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Poetry | Pablo Neruda | Poet | Exile

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 21 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Philippe Noiret	...	Pablo Neruda
Massimo Troisi	...	Mario Ruoppolo
Maria Grazia Cucinotta	...	Beatrice Russo
Renato Scarpa	...	Telegrapher
Linda Moretti	...	Donna Rosa
Sergio Solli
Carlo Di Maio
Nando Neri
Vincenzo Di Sauro
Orazio Stracuzzi
Alfredo Cozzolino
Mariano Rigillo	...	Di Cosimo
Anna Bonaiuto	...	Matilde

Also Known As:

Il Postino: The Postman (UK) (USA)
Le facteur (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Italy | France | Belgium

Language:

Italian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Peru:PT | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Germany:o.Al. | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:11 | UK:U | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Pollara, Salina Island, Aeolian Islands, Messina, Sicily, Italy

Company:

Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica

Trivia:

The last film that was rated 'U' to be nominated for the best picture Oscar.

Quotes:

Pablo Neruda: We poets are all fat.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Zomergasten: (#12.4)" (1999)

Soundtrack:

If You Forget Me

I highly recommend this movie.

Set in a beautiful Italian sea coast village, Il Postino is a gem of a movie. There is an undescribable beauty to it. I appreciate 1) the beauty of the ocean, 2) the lovely music, 3) the Italian language, 4) the poetry of Pablo Neruda, 5) the time that the Nobel Peace Prize poet spends with a poor mail deliverer who comes up hills on his bicycle, explaining to him what is a metaphor, 6) the beautiful and sincere friendship between the two men, 7) the love that Neruda has for his woman, and 8) how Mario wants to impress the woman of his dreams with nothing else, but the poetry written by Neruda. After his time in asylum Neruda goes back to Chile and his friend Mario misses him. Later in the movie Neruda returns to the island and realizes how much he misses that honest and simple man who was so eager to learn when they met at the beach town. I love this movie! If I watch it some more my Italian will improve tremendously, I can understand enough to watch the movie and not read the subtitles. I guess that makes the movie more meaningful to me, as I understand it in the language that it was made in. Mario really wanted Neruda to mention him in interviews because he sensed that they both had influenced each others' lives. Unfortunately when Neruda meets Pablito, Mario is no longer around. I highly recommend this movie. My favorite scene: Is Neruda explaining to Mario what a metaphor is. That scene also provided me with my favorite quote: Neruda:" Metaphors." Mario: "What are those?" Neruda:" How can I explain, when you talk of something comparing with the other?" Mario: "Something you use in poetry?" Neruda: "Yes! For example: when you say the sky weeps, what do you mean?" Mario: "It is raining." Neruda:" Very good! That is a metaphor." Mario:"It's easy then. Why has it got such a complicated name?" Neruda: "Man has no business with the simplicity of complexity of things." I have the tape and have enjoyed this movie every time I watched it. This movie deserves every award it has received. It is a wonderful movie.