Ardiente paciencia (1983) User Reviews

Interesting, if a tad cliched.

[AriMov86 · 6/10 · 2 January 2003]

(WARNING: spoilers) I appreciated this movie foremost because it introduced me to the work of Pablo Neruda. The sequences where Neruda and Mario discuss poetry, and where Neruda explains the meaning of his work, are wonderful. "'Sometimes I feel I am not a man...' I have felt this way, too. When I read these words, I liked it." For me, this is the essence of what poetry is all about; an abstraction of words to communicate common human sentiment that is too difficult to explain normally. This was also a touching story of a small-town Italian man's struggle to enlighten and better himself, to be something comparable to the celebrity poet who is staying in his town. However, I found the movie overly simplistic, and certain plot lines seemed obvious and boring. Mario meets a mysterious, exotic, and tempting woman in his bar. They talk oddly. Skip to the next scene, and they're going out. Skip again and they're getting married. Skip again and they have a kid. It's all treated as obvious and any dynamic between these two people is ignored, background, save for a brief conversation between the woman and her mother concerning Mario. The same occurred with the ending to the movie. Neruda returns and finds that Mario has been killed in a protest rally, struggling to be more like Neruda. This, again, was treated as an obvious plot development. No discussion or conflict ever arose as to the fact that Neruda ignored his friend. He merely returns, finds his friend dead, gets the obligatory speech from the wife, and the movie ends. Overall the problem with the movie was too much hinting and not enough of the important aspects of the movie being displayed. It's quite possible this is a common dynamic of Chilean films. Definitely worth seeing, but don't expect to be too deeply moved, only a little.

Really better than the big, expensive movie "Il Postino"

[hmyc · 10/10 · 28 December 2005]

I saw this movie when I was living in San Antonio, Texas, between 1985-89, and it really is better than the big, expensive movie "Il Postino". I have read the book "Ardiente Paciencia", and the movie follows the book very closely. When I was living in Santiago, Chile from 1962 to 1972, I had the opportunity of meeting Pablo Neruda and also the actor Roberto Parada, who looked much like the Chilean Nobel Prize winner. In "Il Postino" the events take place somewhere in Italy, but in the movie "Ardiente Paciencia" Neruda and the mailman are living in the real place, Isla Negra, a beautiful little town on the Pacific coast of Chile (christened by the poet himself), where he built one of his homes. This house is now a museum. It is a pity that this excellent movie is little known.

Much, much, MUCH better than "Il Postino"

[flick-22 · 31 August 2000]

During all the publicity that the "Postino" received, I was angry that nobody mentioned the original; not the director, not the press - one wonders why....afraid of the comparison?? Because that's what this movie is: original, very poetic, wonderful sense of humor, true to the book, great acting. It is highly recommended that you see this in spanish (subtitled if need be) - but please try and see it!

better than Il Postino

[elgorrion · 9/10 · 28 February 2005]

I agree wholeheartedly with the other commentator regarding the comparison of this film to "Il Postino", and am not surprised to see that Michael Radford claims the credit for the latter, just as he did with "White Mischief", which has a less complete story than the superior TV film "The Happy Valley". I have no problem with re-makes as such, but there was a complete failure to acknowledge the originals of both these films. If "Ardiente Paciencia" was available on DVD I would buy it; I would not even watch "Il Postino" again on TV. This film has freshness and vitality, and the character of the postman is played with openness and innocence, and feels more true than the sickly portrayal in "Il Postino"; the relationship with Neruda is more natural; Neruda is not the stuffed shirt of the re-make.

I need help... My grandfather had a participation in this movie.

[lcbreyes · 13 October 2008]

Hello... i'm here to find someone who can give me this movie. I am from Portugal, but my grandfather was in exile during Pinochet's government. He lived here in Portugal during the 80's and had a participation in this movie. (I think he is the man being tortured). This is just something i would like to find to remember my grandfather and the great man he was. I tried every place to find this movie, even some kind of Chilean "videotheque".

If anyone could send me, sell me, or just contact me for any information about the movie I would appreciate a lot!

Best Regards LR