The Postmen in the Mountains

Written by Wu Si; Directed by Huo Jianqi

On DVD.

This quietly beautiful film, directed by Beijing Film Academy alum Huo Jianqi, is well-worth seeking out; Netflix caries it though I got it from the public library, which is fortunate since it’s not like I can pop into a video store anymore. I live in Manhattan and sadly there is not a single video store now within walking distance of my Upper West Side neighborhood. When I moved here ten years ago, there were three major video stores, all of whom would likely have carried this film.

The Postmen in the Mountains (the Chinese title translates literally as "That Mountain, That Man, That Dog") was made in 1999 and tells the story of a retiring rural postman (Ten Rujun, winner of a Golden Rooster Award for his spot-on performance) whose son is taking over his route. The two set out on what will be the father’s final route and the son’s first, and during the literal journey bond as they never have before as the son gains new respect for the difficulties his father’s chosen profession presents. The father’s beloved dog, Buddy, who for years always accompanied and served him along the route, gradually transfers his undying loyalty from father to son; a final scene where that transformation is completed is quite remarkable. As the literal translation of the title indicates, the dog is as much a character in the film as the father and the son, and the mountains (imposing, impartial, dangerous and beautiful) inform every step they take.

Part of the beauty in this film comes from the landscape (filmed on location in southwestern and southern Hunan) and nature is used exquisitely throughout. Astounding moments abound, such as a marvelous tracking shot of a paper airplane floating above the ethereal countryside and a treacherous climb up the side of a mountain. Impressively, the importance of mail to the isolated recipients living in the mountains, who have limited interaction with the outside world, is handled without sentimentality while getting the point across.

Huo Jianqi uses myriad devices in the director’s arsenal, all in direct service to the story being told: slow-motion to emphasize an emotional moment; pans that sweep over the landscape’s silent beauty; hand-held camera to convey immediacy and danger; and the occasional long-take, including the final shot held during the closing credits, a trademark of the films of Clint Eastwood , that gives the audience a lasting moment of reflection at the end of the film, a moment to savor and take in the film as a whole rather than just rush on to the next thing.

At 90 minutes, not a frame is wasted in this carefully constructed , smoothly edited and heart-felt film. The only negative is the subtitling on the DVD. Rendered in white, the titles are frequently hard to read. But the film is so visual, the story does not suffer as a whole.

5 stars out of stars.

Awards and nominations for The Postmen in the Mountains:

* Golden Rooster Awards, 1999
o Best Actor - Ten Rujun
o Best Film
* Awards of the Japanese Academy, 2002
o Best Foreign Film (nominated)
* Mainichi Film Concours, 2002
o Best Foreign Language Film
* Montréal World Film Festival, 2002
o People's Choice Award
o Grand Prix des Amériques (nominated)

Review written by Mike Fishman.