Hometown◆ Rediscovering the Beauty Close to Home
- Director, Kayukawa Clinic, Yuhei Kayukawa, M.D.
- Jul 8
- 2 min read
Chunichi Shimbun, Morning Edition, September 29, 2006
There are many things in life whose value we fail to appreciate simply because they are too familiar. The charm of our hometown is often one of them. Only as we grow older do we begin to recognize what has always been there.
Il Postino (The Postman) (1994), set on a small Italian island, is a beautifully crafted film about a simple young islander who learns to love his homeland through an unexpected friendship with a foreign exile.
In the 1950s, the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, living in political exile, settles on a small island off the coast of Naples. Mario, a young islander, has little desire to follow in his father's footsteps as a fisherman and instead searches for his own purpose in life.
He becomes the island's postman, delivering mail to Neruda. As the two men spend time together, an unlikely friendship develops despite their difference in age. Inspired by the poet, Mario gradually discovers the world of poetry.
Surrounded by the island's breathtaking scenery, he learns to transform the images that arise in his heart into words. In doing so, he begins to see the beauty of his own island with fresh eyes. He also falls in love at first sight with a young woman working at a local café. Encouraged by Neruda, he expresses his feelings through passionate poetry, and his love is returned.
Eventually, political circumstances in Chile change, and Neruda returns home. No letters arrive. It seems as though he has forgotten Mario altogether. While those around him cynically remark, "He's forgotten all about you," Mario quietly remains devoted to his friend.
Using a tape recorder, he begins collecting the island's "beautiful sounds" as a gift for Neruda—the gentle waves, the wind, the rhythmic pull of fishermen's nets. For Mario, it is an experience of rediscovering his homeland.
Several years later, when Neruda returns to the island, Mario is no longer alive. Hoping to improve life for the island's people, he had become involved in political activism and was killed after being caught in the violence surrounding a public demonstration.
The role of Mario was played by the beloved comedian Massimo Troisi, who suffered from a serious heart condition during filming. He completed the film despite his illness and passed away shortly afterward. Veteran actor Philippe Noiret, who portrayed Neruda, is said to have looked after and encouraged Troisi throughout the production. Knowing this moving story behind the scenes adds even greater emotional depth to the remarkable performances shared by the two actors.
