This quote, included by Pablo Neruda in the speech he made upon receiving the Nobel Prize, is where Antonio Skármeta (Antofagasta, 1940) gets the name for his 1983 film and 1985 book. The same one that is used for the Netflix version, Chilean production directed by Rodrigo Sepúlveda and with a script by Guillermo Calderón.
Originally created as a script for German radio, Ardiente Paciencia has 3 film versions, translations into more than 25 languages, dozens of stage adaptations (including one with Neruda’s Julio Jung) and an opera (by Mexican composer Daniel Catán, which had Plácido Domingo as Neruda and Cristina Gallardo-Domas as Matilde).
The history
Mario Jiménez (Andrew Bargstead) He is a young fisherman from Isla Negra. Or so his father wants, to continue his trade and his family tradition. But he knows that his thing is not fishing. So, he is hired as a postman.
But it’s not just any postman. He must go look for and leave the mail of the only person who receives letters in town: The poet Pablo Neruda as Claudio Arredondo.
Thus, little by little a strong friendship relationship will be forged between the two, fueled by Pablo Neruda’s interest in the popular and Mario’s in getting to know him, in finding out more. All fueled by Mario’s love for Beatriz (Vivianne Dietz)daughter of Elba (Paola Giannini)the owner of the village restaurant.
From that love, from the urgency to communicate it, will arise in Mario the desire and need to speak well, to be able to say what he feels. And that, from the hand of Neruda -and Beatriz-, it will open other views of life, it will give you other ways of expressing yourself, of feeling.
All of the above occurs in the context of the late 1960s, from a little before the Neruda’s presidential candidacywhich later yielded in favor of Salvador Allende.
In the book, the story ends just following the civic-military coup and the death (or assassination) of the poet. Including strong tensions -some for political reasons- between Neruda and Elba.
a brilliant idea
Antonio Skámeta (I dreamed that the snow burned, The insurrection, The girl with the trombone, A father from a movie, The days of the rainbow) had a brilliant idea. Bring together a cultured, refined, mysterious, contradictory, controversial figure, a world reference, with a simple, transparent young man from the town. And unite them by passion, by the need to express. And he does it, moreover, through a postman, the one who, by trade, carried and delivered letters, generally important texts, often of love.
With this idea, Skármeta achieves a dialogue that does not only show the protagonists in a brilliant way. He also makes poetry shine, the importance of language and its good use. (In personal terms, I think the idea had more potential.)
The movies
But in 1983, Skármeta (National Prize for Literature 2014) wrote the script and directed Burning Patience (1983)with a remarkable Roberto Parada like Neruda, Oscar Castro, Marcela Osorio and Naldy Hernandez. It is a low-income film, precarious in some aspects, which stands out for precisely that: because it reflects the essence of that world, with a memorable Neruda.
The postman
then came The postman1994 Italian version, by the director Michael Radford beside Anna Pavignano, Furio Scarpelli, Giacomo Scarpelli and a brilliant Massimo Troisi, like the postman. This tape made the story and the book famous.
Burning Patience by Rodrigo Sepúlveda
The new version of Ardiente Paciencia, by director Rodrigo Sepúlveda (A thief and his wife, Our Father, Aurora, I’m afraid of a bullfighter), has several high points. First a setting and photography (Maura Morales Bergmann) very well achievedwhich refers to the time with a tone nostalgic and poetic. Without renouncing the precariousness of the time.
Another highlight of Chilean production for Netflix are the performances by Andrew Bargstead (Mario) and Vivianne Dietz (Beatriz). Both are attractive, acting on the edge of coquetry, of sentimental drama, achieving a good share of tension, seduction and eroticism. They are joined by almost the entire cast, like Paola Giannini, for example.
In the film, in the book as well as in its adaptations, the importance of language is very stimulating, the ability to abstract through metaphors or other forms, to think and look in more complex, subtle and profound ways. Of beauty captured by words.
Among the weak points, I think the version of Neruda results in a character with little personality, very good-natured, with little character. Someone very focused on his head and not very enjoyable (as everything indicates that Neruda was), with little passion.
It’s also disturbing sanitize the original text removing the conflicts and political tensions of the time (without ceasing to be political). And, moreover, avoid the dramatic final part. Because, deep down, Antonio Skármeta writes this story in exile. Burning Patience (the book) reflects what happened, in the eyes of the author, in the countrywith a youthful awakening, with great dreams and passions that were abruptly and violently cut off.
Burning Patience is an entertaining, stimulating, beautiful (for its photography and its protagonists). Whose shortcomings are more evident when knowing, at least, the book and the two previous film versions, especially Il postino.
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