Comments on: Il Postino

by: Jessica Grim

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:51:49 +0000

I thought that this movie was great. The imagery that I loved the most about this movie was how Pablo saw the island as this beautiful place, where as Mario saw the island as this boring old town where all anyone did was fish. I loved this comparision because we can comapre it to our lives. My one friend who lives in St. Kitts just thinks of his home as an island. But when I visit him, I think how wonderful everything is jsut becuase I did not grow up with exotic fruits and animals, and did not live beside a beach. When he came to visit me, he thought the Potomic River was fabulous. I never thought of this River as beautiful because I lived next to it my whole life, but when he explained why he thought it was lovely, I learned to admire it as well. This was the imagery that I loved. The comparision between Mario and Paublo.

by: Cimone Phillips

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:57:00 +0000

Il Postino. Personification used in such a wonderful manner. Giving life and meaning to everything that surrounds us is a wonderful way to live. “When you say the sky is weeping what do you mean? It’s raining. See that’s a metaphor.” After viewing this film, it is hard to determine what exactly constitutes as a metaphor. Therefore every new thing in life is new inspiration and a new opportunity to seize the moment. Such as Mario lived his life. He was always so inquisitive and wanted to know more. I remember Pablo telling him that if he explained everything to him, the poetry and metaphors would lose more and more of their meaning. The artist must explore and find where the art takes them. I can definitely relate to this. I feel as if structured practicing takes away from expression, and music professors tend to work more on technical things rather than the feelings and the mood of a piece. I treat every new song or solo work with the same delicate care. I am always willing to seek out the things that make my art form worth pursuing.

Certain things in this film just struck me and I was compelled to jot them down in my notes. I noticed that the viewer was constantly being pulled between graphic imagery that was heart-wrenching or that was utterly breath taking with its beauty. The two quotes that stood out the most for me were “Walk as far as the shore, and these metaphors will come to you.” and “In Russia, communists eat babies…How can he be a catholic???” I just can’t imagine going mentally from that place in time to the other without a breath of fresh air.

Sometimes the gentleness of a foreign language will help us connect better to words in the English language. In French, the word they use for love is “adore.” It means a lot more for someone to adore you than to love you in the French culture. In Il Postino, the word metaphor was used quite a bit and by the end of the film I think that we all had a sense of how these tiny comparisons had impacted Mario Ruoppolo, Pablo Neruda, and Beatrice. (whose “smile spread like a butterfly”)

Again, such beautiful imagery. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this. I can now say that I view my connections between art and nature as something more sacred and to be cherished, after seeing this film.

by: Eddie Poff

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:56:47 +0000

What a great film. Ms. Perrin was absolutely correct, the most “poetic” thing about it was just listening to Italian conversations - what a beautiful language. It reminded me of being in Germany this summer - obviously German is quite a bit different, but it is still important I think for Americans to spend at least some time in a place where nobody speaks their language - it really is a humbling and interesting experience, since I could understand about three words of German at the time. Trying to hold a conversation with “danke” and “gesundheit” is just a bit limiting. The story was also very beautiful, and if it proved anything it is that anyone and everyone is a poet in their own way. It was curious how Mario did not find a real need for poetry, even though he was curious about it, until he fell in love. It was this woman who provided him with the inspiration to begin writing poetry to her. In that way she was his “muse”, even though at the time she had no idea about it. Pablo is such a great character also… he starts off the story as the mysterious communist poet, Mario is awed and afraid to speak to him, but he eventually finds him very personable, and he quickly becomes a friend and mentor. By the end of the film, Pablo is the most endearing character, as Mario thinks of him daily and eventually is killed furthering the mission that Pablo first began in him. The one thing that I see myself remembering from this film is the way the word metaphor sounds in Italian, which was used often in the film.

by: David Kent

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 02:15:56 +0000

I enjoyed the film for a lot of reasons, but it was mostly its view of poetry itself that made me think. I liked how it was not necessarily the poetry itself, but the thought and movement behind the poetry that really made it come alive. It was not the words, but the sense of feeling and ability to express one’s mind due to the ability of poetry to open the eyes to other things that was the real capturing point of the film for me.

I have had similar experience. When I started to write poetry, I assumed it was to express myself and the things I saw in this world that needed to be changed. I did not know or think, however, that I would slowly become trained in having an open, observant mind towards all things. I could look more analytically at things and use mords and phrases that explained them better, even to myself. There is a sense of clarity of purpose and clarity of expression that comes from the discipline of poetic writing that is hard to find elswhere.

by: Laura Harris

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:17:22 +0000

Discovery and development of metaphors defines the life of the famous communist poet, Pablo, in Il Postemo. He teaches his curious postman, Mario, the ways of the poet. The viewer learns that making a metaphor is a spontaneous act. Strolling down the shore, staring at the moon, looking at things of beauty are all necessary as one waits for a metaphor, and presto. The postman’s first metaphor, “your smile spreads like a butterfly”, written for his beloved Beatrice.

This is a beautiful story, filled with shots of the Italian shore and a little fishing village. The fishermen live on this island without running water, and there are constant political debates and elections. This movie shows that no matter what the government controls, the land will remain the same. Always beautiful, always natural. Pablo was visiting the Island and seeing it for the first time easily viewed it as a natural marvel. He had to teach Mario, a native inhabitant, how to see it for the beauty it was. It works, and the end of the film concludes with Mario’s audio recording of marvels of his little island.

by: Brad Mensch

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:29:30 +0000

Il Postino…
As a Film major, I watch films and usually critique them with a very strong eye. When I heard that we were going to be watching a movie in Poetry class, I was a tiny bit skeptical due to the fact that I have seen my share of “Art and Expressive” type films in some of the film classes they offer here at Messiah.
To my utter delight, IL Postino started off on a very beautiful beat! The shot with the sailboats coming in to port during “Magic Hour” (the best time to film during a certain portion of the day due to the sun’s location, it is either when the sun is just rising or just setting) was a brilliant way to introduce the location/atmosphere… giving the audience a pure palette in which to paint their imaginations on.

Along with a wonderful setting the film gives us a wonderful cast in which we can grasp onto and relate with. Mario was very the perfect example of an off-beat protagonist. He was very unsure of his life and what he wanted to do with it. This allows complete shift or change to his character as the narrative continues to develop.
Pablo Neruda fills the void in Mario’s world in the sense that he gives him purpose and ambition in the aspect of what he wanted to pursue in this life.

The use of metaphors was phenomenal! This movie was like a bowl of exotic fruits. There was so much there that I think I need a second helping if you know what I mean. The dialogue and relationship between Pablo and Mario was like watching a mighty oak tree grow. At the beginning you think that “wow, there is one poor shmuck who will never turn into anything, and wow there is a really wonderful poet who looks like his life is going by smoothly… there is no way Pablo will ever befriend Marion!”
But given time and a little “watering and sunlight” Mario made himself noticed and got the relationship growing.

To see where both of these characters have started out and to see the relational progression through the film was one delicious treat that I will enjoy eating again in the near future!
I have read that this film has won all sorts of awards. Everyone was well deserved!

I think it was the idea of a remote little island, people who’s lives didn’t amount to much, but in the end it was the one little guy who was put in an extraordinary situation, meeting a “poet”, and tried to make the biggest difference of them all… this was the aspect I thoroughly enjoyed~

Bravissimo~

by: Kristen Keiser

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:41:53 +0000

I thought this movie was really cute, but I found it ironic that Mario thought that it would poems and ’sweet nothings’ that would catch a woman’s eye or attention, but when he met his love, wasn’t it just by him sitting there? I’m the poetry helped him to woah her or seal the deal but she was attracted to him, alone, without the sweet metaphors, or whispers in her ear, she fell in love with him and not just his words, just I thought was really sweet. I will also comment on the end when Neruda left to go back to his country, I could kind of pick out a metaphor with him not keeping in touch with Mario. When Mario was his mailman his life was kind of easy going and he really did not have much going for himself, until Mario gave him confidence and strength to be on his own. After he left he did not keep in touch with Mario the way he had hoped, but when Mario received his first letter ever, and it was not from his dear friend, I felt like that was a sign of Mario’s independence; even thought everyone else was upset and took it as an insult, I feel like Mario knew that Neruda was confident in him. ( this is based off not seeing the complete end of the movie) It was also nice to see Mario’s father speak at the wedding, when in the beginning of the movie, Mario could not get two words out of him. It was like Mario became the man that his father wanted him to be, but didn’t have the capabilities to teach him, which made Neruda’s influence so much more important. He was like a father/best friend figure to Mario. Cute

by: erin emenheiser

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:07:45 +0000

I am utterly astonished by Mario and Beatrice’s very hasty marriage. I don’t claim to know anything about Italian courtship traditions, but holy cow! that was quick. All that Mario does to win over Beatrice–the prettiest girl in town–is write a couple of poems, and all of a sudden Beatrice is head over heels in love with the (nearly) unemployed oldest bachelor in the village. I wonder, of course, if love can really “happen” so quickly, but more significantly, I wonder at the strength of a metaphor. Are metaphors really so potent as to cause a gorgeous woman to fall in love with an entirely mediocre man? Can metaphors really move us in these powerful ways? I do not at all doubt the power of an especially appropriate metaphor; however, it seems odd to me to allow such a subjective artistic representation to express our emotions accurately.

by: Marah Drooger

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 03:21:42 +0000

This film strives to help the viewer better understand metaphor and beauty and more importantly the connection between the two. Just like so many of us, Mario searches for a deeper understanding of the world. He is drawn to the poet Neruda, he wants the understanding that Neruda offers. Neruda’s poems and metaphors draw women to him. Mario wants to learn all about poems and metaphors, almost as though having that knowledge will make him a better person. The beauty of it all is that there is nothing to learn. Understanding and beauty comes when you pause and take a break from the world around you. Mario’s town was so simple, plan, dirty, and small. He came from a simple background, but he saw the beauty in life. He didn’t need a certain kind of knowledge, but the metaphors helped him to see the beauty. I love the picture it portrays that anyone can make metaphors. Its not for the rich or smart or famous. But rather it is something that brings us all together, awakens us to the simple yet magnificent beauty of the things around us.

by: Marty Zimmerman

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 00:23:12 +0000

The film “Il Postino” describes the life of a man named Mario whose life is greatly influenced by poet. Mario does not want to follow in his father’s footsteps, to assume the role of a fisherman. This, in my opinion is a symbol. A fisherman, in Mario’s eyes, is a static job that is un-exciting and monotonous. From what I can recall, when the camera would pan to the fishermen, they would have their boats close to the shore, and not freely sailing across the waters. This reinforces the idea that by being a fisherman, you are restrained and contained within a small box. Mario talks about living in America and all of the wonderful things that can be found there, cars for example. Mario describes the fishing nets as “sad,” and why would someone pick this particular word to describe a net. He obviously has his own opinions about fishing, and wants no part in becoming a fisherman. The film enables the audience to wrestle with poetry, its meaning, purpose, and how it is developed by the dialogue that occurs between Mario and Neruda. Neruda reveals the structure and rules that are used in developing pieces of poetry, specifically metaphors. At first, Mario doesn’t understand what metaphors are and how they are constructed, but Neruda instructs Mario and provides him with various examples. Mario uses metaphors to win the affection and love of Beatrice. Metaphors are also looked down upon, especially by the aunt of Beatrice, who misinterprets the poems Mario composes. She views them as literal, but poetry attempts to contain emotions and ideals within language, which at times seem incapable of fully expressing the intangible. The relationship that develops between Beatrice and Mario is born out of language, Mario’s use of poetry causes Beatrice to imagine and use her mind, and at its very beginning, the relationship is built upon emotion, not a physical relationship. Interest turns to love, and the two are wed, and Beatrice eventually becomes pregnant. The relationship began as nothing, Beatrice appearing more rough in behavior, but physically beautiful. Mario is captivated by her beauty and uses poetry to steal her heart. He is successful, and begins a new life. Something that pleases his father and makes others take notice of him.