Il Postino: The Postman (1995) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Pablo Neruda was exiled to the Italian island in 1950 due to political reasons. The Chilean authorities had issued a warrant for his arrest because of his political beliefs and affiliations. The warrant was lifted during Mario and Beatrice's wedding, allowing Neruda to return to Chile.

Foreshadowing: The film hints at political tensions early on through the priest's reluctance to let Neruda be best man.

• neruda
• exile
• chile
• political arrest warrant
• 1950

Mario Ruoppolo was discontent with his life as a fisherman and sought a new path. He secured a temporary position as the island's postman, with Neruda being his sole recipient. This job provided him with purpose and eventually became the foundation for his transformative friendship with the poet.

• mario
• postman
• fisherman
• job change
• island

Mario met Beatrice Russo at her aunt's village café, where she worked. He was immediately captivated by her but was too shy and uncertain to express his feelings directly. Turning to Neruda for help, he learned to use poetry to articulate his emotions, which eventually won Beatrice over despite her aunt's disapproval of his sensual verses.

• beatrice
• cafe
• poetry
• love
• romance
• mario

The priest initially refused to permit Neruda to stand as best man due to political concerns. Neruda was a known political figure with an active arrest warrant from Chilean authorities, and the political climate was dominated by Di Cosimo and the Christian Democrats. The issue was resolved quickly once Neruda's situation became clearer.

• priest
• best man
• political concerns
• wedding
• neruda

After marrying Beatrice, Mario sent a heartfelt letter to Neruda hoping to maintain their friendship. He waited months without a reply, and when he finally received a response, it came from Neruda's secretary requesting the return of Neruda's belongings to Chile. This suggests Neruda was either too busy or perhaps emotionally unable to respond directly to his old friend.

• letter
• secretary
• reply
• chile
• neruda
• mario

While in his homeland, Mario discovered an old phonograph that reminded him of his first meeting with Neruda. Inspired, he captured the beautiful sounds of the island, including ambient noises and the heartbeat of his unborn child, preserved on cassette. These recordings became his precious legacy, which Beatrice later entrusted to Neruda.

• recordings
• sounds
• phonograph
• heartbeat
• island
• cassette

Mario died prior to the birth of his son Pablito. He was meant to read a poem at a significant communist rally in Naples, but the demonstration turned chaotic due to police intervention. The violent police crackdown at the rally claimed Mario's life, preventing him from sharing his poem or meeting his child.

• death
• naples
• communist rally
• police
• poem

Pablito is the son of Mario and Beatrice, born after Mario's death. Beatrice named him in Neruda's honor to commemorate the profound impact the poet had on Mario's life. When Neruda later encountered Beatrice and Pablito at an inn, he learned the tragic news of Mario's death before their son's arrival.

• pablito
• son
• named after neruda
• beatrice
• mario

Beatrice's aunt disapproved of Mario because the verses he used to woo Beatrice were sensually charged. However, these sensual poems were primarily borrowed from Neruda's work rather than being Mario's own creation. Despite the aunt's stern disapproval, Beatrice herself was captivated by Mario's poetic charm.

• poetry
• sensual
• aunt
• disapproval
• beatrice
• neruda verses

By the time of Mario's death, Neruda had already returned to Chile after the Chilean authorities lifted the warrant for his arrest. Neruda was in his homeland when Mario was killed at the communist rally in Naples, which is why he only learned about his friend's death years later when he unexpectedly met Beatrice.

• neruda
• chile
• return
• funeral
• absence
• death

When Neruda met Beatrice at the inn five years after his return to Chile, she entrusted him with the recordings of the island's sounds that Mario had lovingly compiled. These recordings, including the heartbeat of Mario's unborn child, symbolized Mario's deep connection to life, poetry, and art, serving as his lasting legacy.

• recordings
• beatrice
• legacy
• gift
• neruda
• sounds of island

During Mario and Beatrice's wedding, Neruda received the news that Chilean authorities had lifted the warrant for his arrest. This developments allowed him to return to his homeland after years of political exile on the Italian island.

• return
• chile
• warrant lifted
• wedding
• exile end