The poems of Pablo Neruda in Il Postino

I have little doubt that Valentine's Day is a money-making scheme. But once, when I was very young, I let myself get caught up in the engulfing air of love songs, flowers, and other assorted gifts. At junior college, the festive air made most people forget they didn't have boyfriends or girlfriends. It didn't matter when entertainment was to be had from the sight of flower-toting guys and girls who struggled with any number of bouquets and bears; the singing telegrams that interrupted lectures; and the clumsy and earnest messages of ardor playing on the school's speakers.

In fact, it's the memory of those lovingly or hastily penned messages that remind me of the lovelorn postman in the Italian film Il Postino. Not so many of us pursuing a lover can enlist the help of a poet. Then again, we do have the Norton Anthology and the collected poems of Pablo Neruda now. But still, the idea of asking the guy to whom you deliver mail to help you write lyrical poetry for your lady...you don't often get to have that kind of advantage.

The American version of the soundtrack of Il Postino has extra tracks: famous actors (and one musician) reading (with as much expression as they can muster) the love poems featured in the movie. Titbit: I stole the CD off a former boyfriend whose ownership of the album surprised and pleased me to no end. I didn't know many - if any - boys who watched Italian films and purchased their soundtracks. He was no English major but knew well enough that English majors liked poetry, and once read an Emily Dickinson poem to me in a Barnes and Noble bookstore. But that's another story.

I've selected four poems that sound the loveliest to my ear. The first three are about naked and/or beautiful women and the last is arguably the most famous of Neruda's poems. I've read it to myself often enough: "Tonight, I can write the saddest lines."

Funny how three of my favorites are by men who've played villains in films:

Sting reads "Morning (Love Sonnet XXVII)" - this guy needs no introduction.

Rufus Sewell - Crown Prince Leopold in The Illusionist, also the baddie in A Knight's Tale - reads "Ode to a beautiful nude"

Willen Dafoe - well known for his role as Green Goblin in Spider-man - reads "Adonic Angela" in that unmistakable deep voice of his.

And lastly, the most tragic and true poem of all: Andy Garcia - Terry Benedict from the upcoming Ocean's 13 (he's now working with the crew that stole his woman and his money in Ocean's Eleven) does the honors for "Tonight I can write the saddest lines."

There's nothing like having beautiful poetry read to you.

Posted by Monoceros at February 14, 2007 8:24 AM