The Postman is Kevin Costner`s second film as star and director after Dances with Wolves - it`s a sort of Waterworld on dry land. We find ourselves in a post-apocalyptic world in the not too distant future, 2013 - with all the cliches we`ve come to expect - dirty rain, polluted waters - but before too long we move into lovely green forests and valleys and it`s the bad guys - led by Bethlehem -Will Patton - trying to dominate and tyrannise the scattered survivors. By pure accident Costner`s character comes across a dead mailman, takes on his uniform and mailbag and trades fantasy communication for food and shelter...
What`s interesting about this film is its premise of communication as the basis of revolution. What`s disappointing is that everything interesting it proposes it discards in favour of pallid drama and cliched confrontation. Costner is a man obviously interested in the value of white picket fences and prom dances, and he opts for a rather conservative nostalgia instead of going for a more confronting, more interesting examination of the implications of the role of a postman, a communicator, in devastated times.
Costner in the central role in The Postman allows himself some embarrassingly laughable moments. At nearly three hours The Postman outstays its welcome by some considerable time. But on the positive side, the film looks fabulous, thanks to America`s natural beauty and Australian cinematographer Steven Windon who shot Rapa Nui with Costner`s old friend Kevin Reynolds.
