The Postman
Post-apocalyptic America. What begins as a con game becomes one man’s quest to rebuild civilization by resuming postal service.
- Director: Kevin Costner
- Genre:Action / Adventure / Drama / Sci-Fi
- Runtime:178 minutes
Cast
Kevin Costner : The Postman
Will Patton : General Bethlehem
Larenz Tate : Ford Lincoln Mercury
Olivia Williams : Abby
James Russo : Idaho
Official Site:-
The year is 2013. Global societal collapse has crippled the earth, which heavily affects the surviving population. Although war and conditions similar to nuclear winter are described, the cause of the collapse is never really explained, allowing the possibility of non-nuclear causes for the slide into oblivion. Into this apocalyptic wasteland comes an enigmatic and initially nameless nomadic survivor (Kevin Costner), who is wandering the flatlands of Utah. In need of food and water he trades performances of Shakespearean plays (with his mule, Bill, as a mute co-star), for food and shelter in a small settlement. A neo-fascist army run by General Bethlehem (Will Patton), who takes supplies and prisoners, captures and incorporates the nomad into his ranks. The army, called Holnists, are a remnant from those of a farmer-turned-general, Nathan Holn, who had long since died, with Bethlehem (a former copier salesman) taking over command.
The army is large, each member being branded on the right arm with the figure “8″. Bethlehem’s command staff is loyal to him, specifically a captain, Idaho (James Russo), who is particularly cruel to the soldiers. The force is held together through discipline and fear, with the only punishment for serious infractions being death. Bethlehem sees the unnamed nomad as both a threat and an asset, due to his obvious intelligence and self-confidence, and hence nicknames the man “Shakespeare” due to his abilities at quoting lines. However, the nomad is not intrigued by Bethlehem, and does not want to fight for him or be a member of his army, but knowing that if he leaves he will be killed which he would wait for a chance of his escape.
Eventually, “Shakespeare” is selected to conduct a hunting expedition for a lion which was spotted by scouts. He finds the body of a scout and when bringing the body back, makes his escape by jumping into a river. Surviving a cold night by taking refuge in an abandoned mail carrier van, he takes the bag of undelivered mail (after reading some of the letters) and uses a postal uniform for warmth. Arriving at a settlement in lower Oregon called Pineview, he attempts to gain entry by assuming the identity of a postman appointed by what he falsely describes as a newly restored government, based in Minneapolis and led by a new president named Richard Starkey. He produces a letter addressed to a surviving member of the town, written by her sister in Denver fifteen years earlier. While some in the settlement are skeptical, the majority seem convinced, wanting to believe in the possibility of peace and a restored nation. They proceed to give the Postman more mail to deliver. Read more
Watch full The Postman online streaming for free
