Il Postino: The Postman

For the opera based on the film, see Il Postino (opera).
Not to be confused with the 1997 American film The Postman.

Il Postino: The Postman
Italian theatrical release poster
Directed byMichael Radford
Screenplay byAnna Pavignano
Michael Radford
Furio Scarpelli
Giacomo Scarpelli
Massimo Troisi
Story byFurio Scarpelli
Giacomo Scarpelli
Based onArdiente paciencia
by Antonio Skármeta
Produced byMario Cecchi Gori
Vittorio Cecchi Gori
Gaetano Daniele
Starring
CinematographyFranco Di Giacomo
Edited byRoberto Perpignani
Music byLuis Enríquez Bacalov
Production
companies
Cecchi Gori Group Tiger Cinematografica[1][2]
Penta Film
Esterno Mediterraneo Film
Blue Dahlia Productions
K2 Two
Le Studio Canal+[1][2]
Distributed byVariety Distribution
Cecchi Gori Distribuzione[2]
Penta Film Distribuzione[2] (Italy)
Miramax International (Select territories; through Buena Vista International)[3]
Release dates
  • 1 September 1994 (1994-09-01) (VFF)
  • 22 September 1994 (1994-09-22) (Italy)
  • 16 June 1995 (1995-06-16) (USA)
Running time
108 minutes
CountriesItaly
France
Belgium
LanguagesItalian
Spanish
Budget$3 million[4]
Box office$33 million

Il Postino: The Postman (Italian: Il postino, lit. ''The Postman''; the title used for the original US release[5]) is a 1994 comedy-drama film co-written by and starring Massimo Troisi and directed by English filmmaker Michael Radford. Based on the 1985 novel Ardiente paciencia (English translation: "Burning Patience") by Antonio Skármeta, itself adapted from a 1983 film written and directed by Skármeta, the film tells a fictional story in which the real life Chilean poet Pablo Neruda forms a friendship with a simple Procida postman (Troisi) who learns to love poetry. The cast includes Troisi, Philippe Noiret, and Maria Grazia Cucinotta. The screenplay was adapted by Radford, Troisi, Anna Pavignano, Furio Scarpelli, and Giacomo Scarpelli.

Writer/star Troisi was severely ill during filming, postponing heart surgery so it could be completed. The day after principal photography ended, he suffered a fatal heart attack, and the film was completed and released posthumously.[6] The film was critically acclaimed,[7] earning numerous accolades including BAFTA Awards for Best Film Not in the English Language, Best Direction, and Best Film Music. Composer Luis Bacalov won the Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score, and the film was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published.

  1. ^ a b "Il postino (1994)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Il postino (1994)". Archivio del Cinema Italiano. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  3. ^ "The Postman (1994)". Unifrance. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  4. ^ "The Postman (1994) – Box office / business". IMDb.
  5. ^ "Academy invites 819 to membership". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  6. ^ Laurino, Maria (11 June 1995). "FILM; A Postman, a Poet, an Actor's Farewell". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  7. ^ Il Postino: The Postman (Il Postino) (1995), retrieved 19 November 2019