1996 Academy Award: Best Music Score
1996 Academy Award: Best Picture nominee
1996 Academy Award: Best Actor nominee: Massimo Troisi
1996 Academy Award: Best Director nominee: Michael Radford
1996 Academy Award: Best Writing Adapted Screenplay nominee

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by Frank Wilkins
Il Postino is a sad tale. Not only in its subject matter, but also in the story of its lead actor, Massimo Troisi, a very popular comedian in Italy. Massimo died at the age of 41 on the day after principal filming ended. He had been notified of a heart condition but made the decision to delay a heart transplant so that he could finish filming Il Postino. Although a veteran of many Italian films, American audiences were never able to become familiar with his craft.

Troisi plays Mario Puoppolo, the son of a hard working Italian fisherman who doesn't care to continue the family's fishing legacy. Mario, a scrawny man of few words, instead prefers to spend his time at the local cinema. One night Mario sees a newsreel that highlights the story of a famed, but now exiled, Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda. Mario learns that Pablo was expelled from his home country of Chile due to his communistic views and is now living in Italy. Mario can't help but notice that Pablo is always seen surrounded by beautiful women.

Encouraged by his father to go out and get a job, Mario applies for a job at the local post office. His job duties will be to ride his bicycle to a remote village on the other side of the island to deliver the fan mail to his only customer, Pablo Neruda. Mario discovers this as a great opportunity to become close to Pablo in hopes that he can learn to become a poet to capture the attention of the lovely local barmaid Beatrice (Maria Grazia Cucinotta). Pablo is at first put off by Mario questions about poetry but becomes intrigued by his honesty and sincerity. The two develop an honest and symbiotic relationship as Mario learns the power of poetry on women and Pablo is reminded that he mustn’t get caught up in his own celebrity. Some of the films best and most memorable moments come from the interactions of these two. It’s enlightening to see the normally tongue-tied Mario come to life as learns the power of metaphors as Pablo coaches him into his romance with Beatrice. Director Michael Radford clearly senses their magical chemistry and manages to keep a soft hand when the two are together.

The Chilean government finally lifts Pablo’s exile and he abruptly deserts the island leaving Mario feeling somewhat abandoned and betrayed. Mario later understands that he has become a fulfilled man. He now recognizes the world around him and learns that he can take action against perceived inequities and make a difference.

Il Postino is the poster child of the genre of art film. Despite its sometimes glacial pace and frustrating deliberateness, it is a study in well constructed film. The acting is perfect, the breadth of explored emotions is vast and the cinematography will leave you breathless. Perhaps it should be renamed Art Film 101 and placed on the syllabus of every film studies course in the world (it probably already is).

It’s pacing may be too slow for many viewers but if you can keep your head in the game and off the pillow, it is a brilliant piece of film making that becomes a standard by which all should be judged.
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Frank Wilkins

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Complete Cast: