Kevin Costner also proved that he has a great passion for epic cinema with “Postman” from 1997. However, the end-time western was not well received by critics. Only available for a short time on Amazon Prime Video.
When Kevin Costner (“Bodyguard”) takes the director’s chair, you can expect a brutal and extravagant story. The “Yellowstone” star is currently working on his definitive epic: “Horizon” will be a multi-part saga about the settlement of the American West. But many years before that, Costner had already proven as a director that size does play a role for him: Alongside his Oscar-winning “Dances with Wolves,” “Postman” in 1997 was to underline this fact.
In contrast to the sensitive western masterpiece “Dances with Wolves”, in which Costner gave it his all, as he did recently in “Horizon”, “Postman” failed to impress either critics or audiences and is now considered one of the biggest flops of 90s cinema. But the film is undoubtedly exceptional in its monumental ambitions. You haven’t seen “Postman” yet? Then you can catch it on Amazon Prime Video until August 18th.
“Postman” on Amazon Prime Video*
That’s what “Postman” is about
In 2013, a nuclear war has ensured that the world as we know it no longer exists. Instead, absolute lawlessness reigns. The survivors of the nuclear catastrophe are brutally oppressed by the tyrannical General Bethlehem (Will Patton). But one day, a glimmer of hope appears in the sky:
A mysterious stranger arrives. He is dressed in a postal uniform that he accidentally found in a wrecked car. With a sack full of letters in tow, he is now pursuing a plan to restore the United States. As a postman, he becomes a symbol of resistance for the oppressed and is not only convinced to deliver all the letters, but also takes on the fight against Bethlehem…
Always on the verge of ridiculousness
Yes, Kevin Costner has a great passion for founding myths. “Dances with Wolves,” “Waterworld,” “Open Range” and of course “Postman” serve this narrative. The holy, sometimes chewing-gum-like seriousness with which Costner has staged the reconstruction of the postal system here, with its pathetic fervor, consistently touches the border of ridiculousness.
You can see this as a curiosity that has a wonderfully misguided magic. But the majority of the trade press was simply bored or even horrified by “Postman”. At the English-language critics’ collection site Rotten Tomatoes the average positive review score is a disastrous 14 percent. The FILMSTARTS review, on the other hand, is a little more lenient with 2.5 out of 5 stars, but certainly not good either. But if you want to grasp Kevin Costner’s work in all its (often strange) glory, you definitely can’t go past “Postman.”
Does Kevin Costner regret “Postman” in retrospect? Possibly. But the fact that he turned down a war masterpiece just because of his brother definitely still bothers him today:
Because of his brother: “Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner turned down a role in the war film masterpiece – and still regrets this decision today
This article is based on an article that already appeared on FILMSTARTS.
*The link to the Amazon offer is a so-called affiliate link. If you make a purchase via this link, we receive a commission.
