Il Postino

UK Release Date. 20 October 1995
Certification. U
Running Time. 1 hour 48 mins
Director. Michael Radford, Massimo Troisi
Cast. Anna Bonaiuto, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Philippe Noiret, Renato Scarpa, Massimo Troisi.
Rating. 84%

Review.

Il Postino is a loose adaptation of Antonio Skarmeta's novel, Ardiente Paciencia, which recounts the exile of the Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda on the Italian island of Capri in 1952. I find it virtually impossible to separate the emotion of the film's endearing storyline from my reaction to the real-life tragedy surrounding the film's driving force, Massimo Troisi.

Troisi had long wanted to adapt Skarmeta's novel. So much so, he delayed heart surgery to make Il Postino. Troisi had heart problems his entire life, but with filming due to start, Troisi was so gravely ill he couldn't work more than an hour a day. Many of his scenes were done in a single take. Director Michael Radford re-worked scenes to allow Troisi to sit as much as possible, while a body double replaced him on long shots and any close-up shots where Troisi’s face didn’t need to be seen. Troisi recorded all his dialogue before filming. Sadly, the 41-year-old actor died the day after filming ended. 

Notwithstanding, Il Postino is an enchanting film. Quiet and gentle, but utterly captivating - as charming as can be. With restrained camerawork and deliberate pacing, there is an easily digestible warmth to the film.

The film is set in the 1950s on a remote island with no running water, off the Neapolitan coast, where the exiled Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (Philippe Noiret) takes up residence in a remote, mountain villa. The copious amount of fan mail Neruda receives forces the local postmaster (Renato Scarpa) to hire Mario (Massimo Troisi), the son of a local fisherman to deliver Neruda's mail, primarily because he owns a bicycle. Initially, Mario seems to be a simple man, though he's not unintelligent. Unlike most people on the island, he can read. In truth, Mario is simply adrift; he has grown up without any intellectual stimulation. Diligently he delivers the mail; at first, Mario is in awe of Neruda, who responds with understandable wariness to the postman's gauche attempts at conversation. Mario asks Neruda to autograph one of his poetry books. Then, Mario becomes increasingly courageous and inquisitive. He questions Neruda about language and poetry. He wants to understand poetry and asks Neruda for his help, to woo the beautiful Beatrice (Maria Grazia Cucinotta). 

Much of the film's seductive charm comes from the excellent performances of the two lead actors. With understated generosity, Philippe Noiret gives a touching performance as a great intellect content to reduce his art to a seductive tool. While Massimo Troisi's gentle performance is astonishingly disarming. With soulful gazes and expressive hands, he conveys the frustration and desire trapped within his head and heart. Shyly muttering his lines and rarely raising his head up to look directly at the person he is talking to, Troisi’s unforced performance has an unaffected naturalness to it.

The friendship that develops between the two men is genuinely touching. With the rapport established between Noiret and Troisi, a refreshingly witty and restrained script and Radford's unobtrusive direction, Il Postino perfectly captures the eye-opening wonder of a man discovering intellectual horizons he never imagined.