Il Postino: The Postman (1994) Il postino (original title)

Director:

Michael Radford

Writers:

Antonio Skármeta (novel)
Furio Scarpelli (story) ...
(more)

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:

Postman | Island | Poetry | Poet | Pablo Neruda

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 27 wins & 14 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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Simona Caparrini	...	Elsa Morante (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Radford

Writing credits
Antonio Skármeta		(novel "Ardiente Paciencia")
Furio Scarpelli		(story) &
Giacomo Scarpelli		(story)
Anna Pavignano		(screenplay) &
Michael Radford		(screenplay) &
Furio Scarpelli		(screenplay) &
Giacomo Scarpelli		(screenplay) &
Massimo Troisi		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mario Cecchi Gori	....	producer
Vittorio Cecchi Gori	....	producer
Gaetano Daniele	....	producer
Alberto Passone	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Luis Bacalov

Cinematography by
Franco Di Giacomo

Film Editing by
Roberto Perpignani

Production Design by
Lorenzo Baraldi

Costume Design by
Gianna Gissi

Makeup Department
Alfredo Marazzi	....	makeup artist
Simone Marazzi	....	makeup artist
Ferdinando Merolla	....	hair stylist
Léone Noël	....	makeup artist
Angelo Vannella	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Federico Foti	....	unit manager
Vincenzo Testa	....	production manager
Raffaele Veneruso	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Gaia Gorrini	....	assistant director
Stefano Veneruso	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Laura Casalini	....	assistant production designer
Roberto Magagnini	....	lead person
Riccardo Passanisi	....	property master
Luigi Sergianni	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Paolo Amici	....	sound effects
Tullio Arcangeli	....	sound effects
Vince Caro	....	sound recording engineer
Giulio De Angeli	....	sound effects (as Giulio D'Angeli)
Franco Finetti	....	sound
Saverio Lancia	....	sound effects
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer
Massimo Loffredi	....	sound
Ettore Mancini	....	boom operator
Ezio Marcorin	....	sound editor
Ezio Marcorin	....	sound effects
Daniele Masini	....	sound effects
Nicoletta Negri	....	dubbing assistant
Augusto Penna	....	sound effects
Alessandra Perpignani	....	sound supervisor
Paolo Pucci	....	sound effects editor
Angelo Raguseo	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roberto Sterbini	....	sound effects
Marco Streccioni	....	sound re-recording mixer
Fabio Venturi	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Alberto Altibrandi	....	electrician
Elio Bosi	....	grip
Piero Bosi	....	grip
Bruno Bruni	....	still photographer
Osvaldo Caruso	....	grip
Stefano Coletta	....	camera operator
Francesca D'Antoni	....	assistant camera
Rolando Marcheggiani	....	electrician
Ernesto Natoli	....	assistant camera
Gaetano Rutigliano	....	grip
Mario Tursi	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Yvette Bonnay	....	wardrobe
Alberta Ceccarelli	....	wardrobe
Rita Cirilli	....	wardrobe
Luciana Morosetti	....	assistant costumer

Editorial Department
Stefano Giovannini	....	color technician
Lidia Pascolini	....	assistant editor
Rita Triunveri	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Luis Bacalov	....	conductor

Other crew
Bruno Alessandro	....	voice dubbing: Philippe Noiret
Rodolfo Bianchi	....	dubbing director
Cristiana Caimmi	....	publicist
Anna Cenciarelli	....	administrator
Elide Cortesi	....	script supervisor
Christopher Gambale	....	assistant to harvey weinstein
Marco Mattei	....	cashier
Marco Mattei	....	payroll clerk
Gianluca Passone	....	location manager
Gianluca Passone	....	production secretary
Flavio Tallone	....	production secretary
Alfredo Veneruso	....	production secretary
David H. Kramer	....	adr loop group (uncredited)

Thanks
Massimo Troisi	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica
• Penta Film
• Esterno Mediterraneo Film
• Blue Dahlia Productions (co-production)
• K2 Two (co-production)
• Cecchi Gori Pictures

Distributors

• Cecchi Gori Group (1994) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (1995) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (1995) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (1995) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (1995) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1995) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (1995) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1995) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Buena Vista Home Video (1996) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Buena Vista Home Video (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Gativideo (1996) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Cecchi Gori Home Video (2001) (Italy) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2002) (Spain) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Prooptiki (1995) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1996) (Greece) (VHS)

Other Companies

• CAM Edizioni Musicali  soundtrack released by
• Hollywood Records  soundtrack
• Miramax Records  soundtrack
• Murray Weissman and Associates  marketing and promotion
• Orchestra Sinfonietta di Roma  orchestra
• Videogamma  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

"Il postino" - Italy (original title)

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 | Dolby SR

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:

Theatrical run in New York City was so long (almost two years), it was still in theaters after the video release and its premium cable run.

Quotes:

Pablo Neruda:We poets are all fat.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Making Life Beautiful (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Madreselva

Mesmerizing film about friendship, poetry, and love.

Set in the early 1950s on a small Italian island, there are three central characters in this movie, one real and the other two fictional. The real one is Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (played by French actor Noiret who resembles Neruda quite nicely). Neruda died in 1973, but really did spend several years in exile in Italy, and really is a world-famous poet.

In this fictional story, simple and honest, but somewhat dim, 40-something Mario Ruoppolo (Massimo Troisi, who died of heart failure right before the movie was released) is the son of a small time fisherman. Mario really doesn't like the fishing, but has no job. At dad's encouragement, he finds a temporary job as a postman, "il postino." The famous poet is moving into the small village and a man with a bicycle is needed to deliver his mail daily. It pays very little in this poor village, but it is a job. And the friendship that eventually develops between Neruda and Mario changes their lives.

The third central character is pretty and sexy 20-something Beatrice (Maria Grazia Cucinotta) who works in her fiercely protective aunt's bar and restaurant. Mario admires her from afar, but Neruda's poetry gives Mario an entry. He tells Neruda later, "Poetry doesn't belong to those who write it, it is for those who need to use it."

A very charming and meaningful movie on DVD for those who don't mind reading English subtitles. Or, listen to it in Italian or French. Some of my favorite scenes were the conversations between Mario and the poet when the mail was delivered.

SPOILERS FOLLOW. Mario manages to win the affections of Beatrice through his poetry and they marry. The political climate changes in Chile allowing Neruda to return there. Mario is sad that Neruda does not seem to remember them. But he turns up perhaps 6 or 8 years later, meets Mario's young son and Beatrice, but finds that Mario had died in a rumble during a Communist rally in the square. The movie ends with Neruda on the beach where he and Mario had had so many wonderful conversations, reflecting on the beauty of the island and how it influenced his poetry. And the friendship with Mario.