This film is set in the near future after a post-disaster. Humans have reverted back to medieval ways using horses to travel round, swords and crude weapons. The Government system has crumbled and small communities of villages live unconnected from one another in forts.
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Kevin Costner travels around with his intelligent mule who 'performs' Shakespeare to some of the villages he is forced to pass when low on supplies. It is during one of these stops when he is forcibly 'recruited' into a self made army led by its obsessed leader. They return every so often and demand volunteers or they will choose their recruits.
His mule is eaten by his other inmates and guards and he is forced to train in this group and be branded by the mark '8' on his arm. He disagrees with their oppressive ways and bullying tactics. With his opposite views and determination he becomes under close watch of the leader.
He eventually escapes at the expense of a fellow captive who was disillusioned into role-worshipping the military group. As he hides in the forests and wilderness he comes across a delapidated car with a skeleton of a man in an uniform. During the night he discovers the man's 'cargo' of letters- he was a postman.
Dressing in the postman's uniform and his satchel of letters he heads towards a nearby fort. Using a cover story of the beginnings of a new government and him being sent by the President he gets inside. The villagers make him guest of honour when one of the letters is sent to its rightful owner.
Seeing the joy it brings to them he slowly warms to the idea of becoming a true Postman. At the village a woman who's husband is unable to have children because of a disease asks him to conceive children with her. A possible solution knowing that he would be leaving soon.
After gaining an enthusiastic new postman he leaves with new letters to a new town. But the '8' army is on his tail. As time goes on he gathers more recruits and a rival group to the '8' army all thanks to his first recruit. Everything is good until the army fights back, killing all postman to get to Costner.
A good film despite its slating at the cinema. On the same sort of level as Waterworld but with an interesting look into possible distopian futures. It is nice to know that humans still make the best of a bad situation in these films. Thought-provoking and a good amount of action.
The review of this Movie prepared by H Louise
Based on the novel by David Brin, this movie follows the adventures of a wanderer in a post-nuclear landscape. After the US has collapsed, and small communities exist in fortified compounds, a travelling performer who stumbles upon a postman's uniform and mailbag winds up re-starting the US postal service. However, this gets in the way of a self-made military dictator's empire. The hope he brings forth is countered by the malevolence of the dictator, so with a little romance thrown in, he winds up having to face the results of what he has inspired. Many of the more fantastic elements of the book are left out.
The review of this Movie prepared by Zorikh Lequidre
