Il Postino

Italy/France 1994 (subtitles)
116 minutes
Directed by Michael Radford
Leading players - Massimo Troisi, Philippe Noiret, Maria Grazia Cucinotta

Synopsis

When Pablo Neruda (Philipe Noiret), the famous Chilean poet and diplomat is exiled to a small picturesque island in the Bay of Naples because of his Communist beliefs an extra postman is required to deal with the huge amounts of mail overwhelming the local post office. The job is offered to Mario (Massimo Troisi), a semi-illiterate fisherman's son. Having discussed the poet's arrival with the local postmaster Mario realises that nearly all the poet's mail comes from women and he accepts the position as postman in the hope of finding out how to pick up girls.

A friendship between the uneducated postman and the Chilean poet slowly develops and Mario persuades Pablo to teach him about poetry and the power of words in order to win the heart of Beatrice (Maria Grazia Cucinotta) the beautiful barmaid who works at the village inn.

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Massimo Troisi, an Italian director and actor who co-wrote the screenplay based on the novel by Antonio Skarmeta is wonderful and entirely believable in his characterisation of Mario Ruoppolo, 'Il Postino'. He postponed heart surgery in order to direct and act in the title role. Michael Radford took over directing when Troisi felt unable to fulfil both roles. Troisi died the day after completing principal photography aged 41.