On the day in which we remember the twentieth anniversary of the death of the great Massimo Troisi, which occurred at the Lido di Ostia on 4 June 1994, Cine34 shows the film this evening at 9pm The postman (1994). Directed by Michael Radford and Massimo Troisi, the film stars Troisi himself, with Philippe Noiret, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Renato Scarpa, Linda Moretti and Mariano Rigillo. It was Troisi’s last performance, as he died prematurely a few hours after filming ended. The film is inspired by the novel Neruda’s postman (Ardiente paciencia) by the Chilean writer Antonio Skármeta. Among the five nominations for the Oscar, unfortunately it only managed to win the statuette for Best Soundtrack.
Set on an island in Southern Italy, it follows the story of Mario Ruoppolo (Massimo Troisi), a simple man, the son of fishermen and unemployed. Pablo Neruda (Philippe Noiret), a political refugee, also lives on the island, to whom Mario will have to deliver the mail daily. Days pass and the young postman is increasingly fascinated by the Chilean poet: he discusses poetry and metaphors with him, travels around the island and forms a bond of sincere friendship. One day, in the tavern, Mario meets Beatrice and falls madly in love with her. To win her over, he decides to dedicate romantic verses to her and asks his new friend and teacher Neruda for help. After courting her for days, despite the hostility of the girl’s aunt, the two get married with the blessing of the Chilean poet. During the wedding banquet, Neruda receives news from Chile of the end of his exile: he can finally return home…
