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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about The Postman (Il Postino) |
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The year is about 1953 on the southern Italian island of Cala di Sotto. The great Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (veteran French actor Noiret) has been exiled to the island from his homeland for political reasons, and he takes a lovely villa on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean. The increase in mail causes Mario Ruoppolo, the son of a poor fisherman who hates fishing, to be hired as an extra postman to handle the extra load. As the simple post carrier delivers and picks up Neruda's mail, the famous poet teaches him about the magic of poetry, which Mario uses to woo the village beauty, Beatrice. This simple, sweet 1994 film, an uncharacteristically lovely piece of work by director Michael Radford ("1984," "White Mischief" and episodes of TV's "Homicide"), had a bittersweet romantic story behind its making: star Troisi postponed needed heart surgery to shoot the film, and died of a heart attack the day after the picture was completed.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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It's an improbable relationship--the young man who delivers the mail and the internationally known Spanish poet Pablo Neruda, but “The Postman” (Il Postino) is a film
about improbabilities. Set on a small island in the Mediterranean, the movie is a sentimental story of a simple man ( Best Actor nominee Massimo Troisi) who approaches
the great poet to help him win the love of his life, by helping him write his own poems of love. It is this “write” of passage that the two, of course, fall in love, and Nerudo moves on. Massimo and friends become involved in politics, which jades the romanticism and
sentimentality just a bit. A poweful tale, this Italian-made film is one not to miss.
--Bill Hobbs, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of The Postman (Il Postino) |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Comedy, primarily
Yes
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- romance (general)
- seduction (yum!)
- matchmaker help
Kind of comedy
- romantic comedy
Ethnic/Regional/Gender story?
Yes
Main Char. ethnic: (if not US Caucasian)
- Italian
Woman/class/friends story?
- story of lower class
Story of city/rural life?
- Small Town
Culture of surrounding area:
- Italian
Lover is...
- of a different social class
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- govt employee
Age:
- 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Black)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) very skinny
Events of movie makes character more...
- caring
- happy
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Italian
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Cynical sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- bald
Hair style
- (man) bald
Body type
- (man) fat
How much in movie?
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Hispanic/Latinic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- general circumstances
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Italy
Island?
Yes
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- very happy
- challenged
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- Italian
Subtitles?
- Yes
Any profanity?
- Occasional swearing
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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