History Film / ThePostman

* ItsNotAboutTheRequest: Early in the film when the Postman tries to desert from the Holnists, he is cornered by another conscript and a sergeant in the Holnist army. The other conscript, who is a mixed race man, is reluctantly resigned to killing the Postman to keep from being killed himself, but the sergeant's racist abuse makes him change his mind and he attacks the sergeant instead.

* ForcedIntoEvil: The grand majority of Holnists were conscripted at gunpoint and are following orders solely because the alternative is being executed for disobedience, with numerous instances of that happening on-screen.

* WastelandWarlord: General Bethlehem is a particularly interesting example, since he establishes a functional, well-equipped and fiercely disciplined army... all for the goal of oppressing Oregon and surrounding areas. Any sign of disobedience, be it his own troops or the settlements within his "fief" is met with DisproportionateRetribution, and he can also be incredibly petty, too. [[spoiler: This becomes a plot point in the end: without him in command of the Holnist Clan, not only Oregon isn't under his boot anymore, but there is the industrial base of said army and hundreds of soldiers that are either [[MinionWithAnFInEvil Minions with an F in Evil]] or [[PunchClockVillain Punch-Clock Villains]] to ''defend'' the place and help establish order]].

* WordOfSaintPaul: Happens in-universe. Ford met the Postman and got personally sworn in by him as the new postal carrier. From there on, Ford used his authority and "direct link" to maintain and expand the US Postal Service all on his own. Notably, the Postman made it all up, and then [[SnowballLie Ford keeps adding to the lie]], ''without'' even knowing the original story was bogus.

** The events which brought the world to this are varied and unexplained, with events like "the war", "the rains" and "the bad mumps".[[note]]The "bad mumps" is nothing more than having them as an adult, when they are almost lethal and often render males infertile, just like with Abby's husband, although she says he had them "as a boy". It's also mentioned that one catastrophe was "the Bugs". "Bug" being a slang for illnesses, we could surmise some of the [=WMDs=] exchanged were been biological rather than nuclear. These "bad mumps", then, might have been a version designed to affect people more that he lived through.[[/note]]

* WeaksauceWeakness: "Law seven: Any clansman may challenge for leadership of the clan." [[spoiler:This allows the Postman to [[DefeatMeansFriendship take over the entire Holnist army]] after a single fistfight. Well, that and the fact Bethlehem has ZeroPercentApprovalRating from his own troops and the top brass, so absolutely nobody minds the new leader. Including his own NumberTwo shooting the general in defense of the new leader.]]

* AlternateHistory: The film begins in 2013, and it's said the Postman survived "the war" with the last great cities destroyed when he was a child. Because at the end he is revealed to have been born in 1973, plus the other references to what occurred which fits with a nuclear war, there was probably one during the early 1980s. The novel was published in 1985, so it fits with the prospect then.
** In view of that, the Postman really ought not to recognize Music/TomPetty on sight as an erstwhile celebrity.

** No one questions that the new President of the United States has the same real name as ''Music/RingoStarr''. It's also possibly justified since his real name isn't as well known in the US, and would be even less so years AfterTheEnd.
** Possibly justified by the fact that it's not that he's convincing, but that people just ''want'' to believe in these things that badly. Plus he's nearly ''shot'' the first time he tells these lies, but by the time he gets going he's delivering mail from "the next village over", making his position much more plausible.

* ClickHello: The Postman is preparing to get on a horseback, having just [[spoiler: dismissed the Postal Service to prevent the death of all the kids working as courtiers]]. As he sulks with his head pressed to the saddle, he hears the metalic click and slowly turns to face his assassin, finally realising ''where'' exactly he saw [[spoiler: one of the new couriers]].

* CompressedAdaptation: The movie omitted a good deal of the book's plot, especially the [[SuperSoldier augments]] and practically the entire conflict between the towns loyal to the Reunited States of America and the Holnists. [[PragmaticAdaptation It also omitted things]] like Reunited-aligned soldiers secretly raping the corpses of their own female soldiers to demonize the Holnists further when the bodies were discovered.

** When, during the Holnists' attack on Benning [[spoiler: Abby attempts to shoot Bethlehem]], he ducks behind an empty oil drum. It somehow manages to protect him and he comes out unscratched, while ''seven'' rounds pierce through the thin metal.
** In the finale, [[spoiler: Colonel Getty shoots Bethlehem InTheBack and you can see a squib exploding on his chest, meaning the bullet went clean through - while Ford is standing right there. Neither he, nor anyone in the crowd behind him, gets hit]].

* CowardlyLion: Unlike Gordon in the book, who's more of a PragmaticHero, Shakespeare is plain and simply a weakling coward... until it comes to the push. It is most notable where he saves Abby - he has ''nothing'' to gain from it and could just bail easily in the resulting confusion.
* CountingToThree: When the Postman arrives at the gates of Pine View, Sheriff Briscoe tells him he will shoot him on the count of three. Persisting, the Postman starts to look for mail addressed to Pine View, and to the confusion of everyone around, he spills the bag full of mail - Briscoe doesn't even start his countdown, too perplexed by the drifter's behaviour. [[spoiler: When the Sherrif reaches "three", Postman brings up the letter to Irene March, one of the people still living in the town]].
-->''Postman'': Did you... did you say "one"?

* DeathGlare: In their parley in the finale, ''[[CowardlyLion the Postman]]'' gives one to Bethlehem when suddenly [[spoiler: challenging him for a duel after showing his Holnist brand]].

-->'''Postman:''' [Points directly at the general] I challange you!

* DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation: Nathan Holn is said to have died of skin cancer a few years ago, instead of being lynched by an angry mob shortly after his teachings began to inspire real crazies. While its possible that the Postman was lying (given how many other whoppers he tells in that scene), he presumably would have been in a position to know given his time as a Holnist conscript. There is also his sudden confidence and having a detailed, specific info, rather than pausing and then blubbering something randomly, indicating at least this part of his story is real.

** Sheriff Briscoe does this intentionally with a shotgun, simply to scare away the Postman when he arrives for the first time in Pine View.
** Postman, when preparing to face an unknown, mounted stranger, readies his AR-15, including pulling the charging handle right before the rider closes in.
** [[spoiler: Luke does it in ClickHello style, preparing to shoot the Postman at the end of the 2nd act. He can't bring himself to shoot him InTheBack, and ultimately, he can't shoot him at all]].

* HannibalLecture: [[spoiler: During their duel in the climax]], Bethlehem gives one to the Postman, strangling him to death while reaching for a nearby sword to kill him off.

-->[Postman makes the one, last desperate attempt to get free from the hold]
-->'''Postman''': I believe... [[PatrioticFervor in the United States]].[[note]]And yes, this is the actual line from the film[[/note]]

* IAteWhat: More of “I’ve Just Been Served WHAT?!” as during his first night with the Holnists, Shakespeare is told with glee by the servers that the grey slop they’re eating is [[spoiler: his mule, Bill.]]

** The Postman rides toward one of the Holnists, closing in on a straight path. The Postman comes within ten meters of the Holnist and the Holnist can't hit him, despite eventually having to reload. [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope Or so it seems]] -- not only did the Postman get shot, but once the adrenaline rush is over, he goes comatose.]]
* InNameOnly: Compared with [[Literature/ThePostman the novel]], the movie is barely recognizable. The scene where the main character discovers the postman's uniform is the only scene from the book to make it into the movie. Otherwise the main character and his motivation is completely different (in the book [[BlackAndGrayMorality he's much less of an obvious white-hat]]), the {{love interest}} is completely different, the villain is completely different (in the book being a genetically enhanced warrior, in the movie just a weird guy with a BeardOfEvil), there is a second 'hero' who was AdaptedOut, and an interesting subplot about a super-powerful AI that is guiding a remote village of survivors back to civilization goes likewise unmentioned in the film. [[http://www.davidbrin.com/postmanmovie.htm The author is well aware that a movie adaptation necessitated changes and has always rather liked the result.]]
* InTheBack: How [[spoiler: General Bethlehem]] meets his end, being shot by [[spoiler: Colonel Getty]] out of all people.
* InformedAbility: We are told that Bethlehem utterly destroyed his last challenger in five seconds of hand-to-hand combat. Bethlehem's actual unarmed fighting skills, shown at the end of the movie, are about as good as your average second-grader's. Possibly an intentional trope, as the five-second story may have been mere propaganda all along. Of course the man who had challenged him was quite a bit older and seems less fit, so it's not impossible.
* InternalReveal: The audience know beforehand that Shakespear was branded with the "Mark of Eight". He keeps it hidden whenever facing people, but Abby finds out on her own when [[spoiler: tending to him while he's wounded]]. And then comes the final confrontation, where Shakespear does a dramatic rip of his own sleeve to present the mark to the entire Holnist army and challenge Bethlehem for its leadership - with his ''own postal carriers'' being more shocked than anyone else, Ford in particular.

* KlingonPromotion: Members of Bethelehem's army are allowed to challenge him in one-on-one combat for his position (the last man who did got his tongue and testicles cut off). [[ChekhovsGun This becomes important later.]]

* TheMole: [[spoiler: Luke, the young recruit send by Bethlehem to infiltrate the Postal Service]]. Notably, his job isn't much about spying, but to locate and kill [[spoiler: the Postman himself. Not only can't he bring himself to carry out the order, but in the end, he switches sides and deserts from Holnist ranks]].
* MotivatedByFear: Bethlehem might be a KnowNothingKnowItAll, [[SmallNameBigEgo self-decared military genius]] and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking also a terrible painter]], but he's extremely effective with this trope. Unlike their book counterpart, the vast majority of Holnist troopers are forcibly conscripted and kept under harsh treatment that instill fear of punishment right from the start. And this army has only one punishment: death. On top of that, General Bethlehem always makes [[DisproportionateRetribution a full show of the power of his army]] when sniffing even the weakest whiff of resistance in the settlements he's touring, making sure everyone else is too afraid to even consider opposing his rule in the aftermath of the resulting slaughter. This goes so far that even his potential deserters have ''nowhere to run'', because everyone hates Holnists, while each and every one of them has a brand on their forearm.

** When about to face an unknown rider (revealed to be a young girl working as a postal carrier), the Postman complains about how awkward it is to meet strangers nowadays, as you can't tell if they are there to say hi or to rob you. The lines he drops are a paraphrase of Gordon's InnerMonologue from the first page of the book - right after he's been robbed by a group of strangers.

* PragmaticAdaptation: There was no realistic way that a movie made in TheNineties was going to do a very good job trying to deal with everything that happens in the book, so the movie took the core concept of the story and ran with it.

* PrecociousCrush: Carrier 18 on the Postman himself, who doesn't even ''notice'' the girl or the longing gazes she gives him. He's 41 when they meet for the first time. She's barely teen aged.
* PrecisionFStrike: When [[spoiler: his would-be assassin]] starts to praise general Bethlehem, Shakespeare drops one. Notably, this is the only "fuck" in the entire film, as it was filmed with PG-13[[note]]It was rated R due to excessive violence and sex content, rendering the whole "no cussing" moot.[[/note]] in mind, and it was reserved for that moment specifically.

* ThePromisedLand: St. Rose, Oregon[[note]]Actual location: Rosario Beach in the Deception Pass State Park[[/note]]. Supposedly it's a nice and peaceful seaside location that Shakespeare wants to get to from the very start of the movie. [[spoiler: He never does, but the statue to his memory is being revealed in the final scene by his now adult daughter, Hope]]. Ironically, in the 3rd act he finds himself a ''different'' place to stay in to fulfill the role of the safe haven he wanted to reach so bad, in the form of the Bridge City.

* ReducedToRatburgers: The horse Abby and the Postman used to escape Benning ultimately ends up being their winter rations.

* TheReveal: The mail-carriers inspired by the Postman [[spoiler:aren't the only ones who took up the cause.]]

* SexStartsStoryStops: Abby enters the Postman's room and asks him if he's decided on the request [[ChosenConceptionPartner to father a child]] with her yet (her husband is infertile). He hesitates, so she [[DressHitsFloor instantly undresses]] to convince him. Not only did they have sex right off the bat, but from this point on, the movie introduces the ever-bloating romance subplot, which ''constantly'' stops the actual plot, being one of the bigger deviations from the original book (where Abby is barely mentioned after the main character leaves Pine View). There, the actual sex was also never shown, with the scene [[SexyDiscretionShot ending just before]], while here it's explicit and at significant length.
* ShoutOut: To another [[Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves Costner movie]]. At one point, Shakespeare jokingly threatens Abby with a spoon, as if it was a lethal weapon.

* SomeoneToRememberHimBy: [[spoiler: Abby insists that the baby she's carrying - [[ChosenConceptionPartner and the Postman fathered]] - is Michael's, in large part as a reminder of her late husband. Unlike the novel, where Gordon actively distanced himself from the baby precisely to avoid any kind of tension, he eventually has an argument with Abby about his parenthood and wanting to protect his own child]].
* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The Postman survives being shot in the torso by a Holnist with an AR-15 ... and, without access to modern medicine, spends ''five months'' recovering from the bullet wound. In a broader sense, just like [[Literature/ThePostman the source material]], the movie tries to portray the post-apocalypse in a more grounded fashion. It takes care to show the types of people that would come to power in a vacuum left behind, why laws and the ability to enforce them are generally good things, why communication is vital in maintaining civilization, and in general treats the post-apocalypse like an actual place rather than just a sandbox for a protagonist to be badass in. And the Postman himself mostly [[ActionSurvivor just survives]] with copious amounts of dumb luck.

** The events which brought the world to this are varied and unexplained, with events like "the war", "the rains" and "the bad mumps".[[note]]The "bad mumps" is nothing more than having them as an adult, when they are almost lethal and often render males infertile, just like with Abby's husband, although she says he had them "as a boy". It's also mentioned that one catastrophe was "the Bugs". "Bug" being a slang for illnesses, it's not inconceivable that some of the [=WMDs=] exchanged were biological rather than nuclear. These "bad mumps", then, might have been a version designed to affect people more that he lived through.[[/note]]

* TheVietnamVet: The Postman runs into a man who's an old Vietnam veteran and operates a radio he tries reaching out to people with (he's had no luck so far, but still keeps trying). Realizing he has valuable combat experience and training, the Postman enlists him to teach his followers. The guy later participates with them in an ambush on a Holnist patrol.
* VirtueIsWeakness: The Holnists' third law says "Mercy is for the weak", followed by sixth "Justice can be dictated", and, ''boy'', does General Bethlehem live it out. He doesn't expect mercy himself at the end as a result, but then the Postman spares him. Then he tries to [[UngratefulBastard shoot the Postman after this]], but is shot himself. This is all part of the Holnists' cruel [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinist]] ideology.

* WeaksauceWeakness: "Law 7: any clansman may challenge for leadership of the clan". [[spoiler: This allows the Postman to [[DefeatMeansFriendship take over the entire Holnist army]] after a single fistfight. Well, that and the fact Bethlehem has ZeroPercentApprovalRating from his own troops and the top brass, so absolutely nobody minds the new leader. Including his own NumberTwo shooting the general in defense of the new leader]].

* WordOfSaintPaul: Happens in-universe. Ford met the Postman and got personally sworn in by him as the new postal carrier. From there on, Ford used his authority and "direct link" to maintain and expand the US Postal Service all on his own. Notably, the Postman made it all up, and then [[SnowballLie Ford keeps adding to the lie]], ''without'' knowing the original story was bogus, too.

** Postman's plea to Luke isn't about asking for mercy - it's about assuring Luke that he is a better man than someone serving under Bethlehem.
** In the finale, when Ford [[spoiler: has the general at a gunpoint]], the Postman has just one thing to say to persuade him out of it.
-->Be a leader, Ford.
* YouCannotKillAnIdea: Even after a cataclysmic war, social collapse, and the apparent death of the United States, the idea of America proves resilient and infectious [[spoiler:eventually reaching to California and beyond]].

* YouWouldntShootMe: Played with. When held at gunpoint by Luke, a man sent to kill him, the Postman doesn't try to plead, goad or play chicken. He ''walks right on the gun'' and tells right in the face of his assassin that he's serving a fucking lunatic - and that Luke is better than that. Not killing him, since the Postman doesn't care at the moment, but simply pledging his allegiance to a madman. Luke lowers the gun.

** Postman's plea to Luke isn't about asking for mercy - it's about assuring him that Luke is a better man than someone serving under Bethlehem.

* JustFollowingOrders: Enforced by general Bethelehem himself, who makes time and again a show of imposing the Laws of Eight. This makes all the Holnists follow his commands [[MotivatedByFear out of fear of facing punishment]], rather than anything else, while he expect from his troops automated response devoid of any passion or hesitation, no matter what inhuman things they are asked to do:

* VirtueIsWeakness: The Holnists' third law says "Mercy is for the weak", and, ''boy'', does General Bethlehem live it out. He doesn't expect it himself at the end as a result, but then the Postman spares him. Then he tries to [[UngratefulBastard shoot the Postman after this]], but is shot himself. This is all part of the Holnists' cruel [[TheSocialDarwinist Social Darwinist]] ideology.

* ConcealmentEqualsCover: When, during the Holnists' attack on Benning [[spoiler: Abby attempts to shoot Bethlehem]], he ducks behind an empty oil drum. It somehow manages to protect him and he comes out unscratched, while ''seven'' rounds pierce through the thin metal.

* WeaksauceWeakness: "Law 7: any clansman may challenge for leadership of the clan". [[spoiler: This allows the Postman to [[DefeatMeansFriendship take over the entire Holnist army]] after a single fistfight. Well, that and the fact Bethlehem has ZeroPercentApprovalRating from his own troops and the top brass, so absolutely nobody minds the new leader]].

** Postman, when preparing to face an unknown, mounted stranger, prepares his AR-15, including pulling the charging handle right before the rider closes in.

* NoNewFashionsInTheFuture: The far future of 2043 has distinctively mid-90s fashion, [[NinetiesHair hairstyles]] included. Apparently, rebuilding civilisation doesn't come with new clothes.

* TimePassageBeard: The time in the cabin during the winter is a series of [[TimePassageMontage compressed scenes]], with enough time passing for Shakespeare to first grow a beard and then it becoming shaggy.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: The Postman survives being shot in the torso by a Holnist with an AR-15 ... and, without access to modern medicine, spends ''five months'' recovering from the bullet wound. In a broader sense, just like [[Literature/ThePostman the source material]], the movie tries to portray the post-apocalypse more realistically. It takes care to show the types of people that would come to power in a vacuum left behind, why laws and the ability to enforce them are generally good things, why communication is vital in maintaining civilization, and in general treats the post-apocalypse like an actual place rather than just a sandbox for a protagonist to be badass in. And the Postman himself mostly [[ActionSurvivor just survives]] with copious amounts of dumb luck.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: What happened with the horse of the Holnist patrolmen that Abby and the Postman killed after escaping Benning? One shot, we see Abby rummaging through its saddlebags, the next, the horse is gone, and she and the Postman are with their "own" horse. This does, however, bite them back down the line, when they have only [[ReducedToRatburgers one horse for food]].

* ConcealmentEqualsCover: When, during the Holnists' attack on Bennings [[spoiler: Abby attempts to shoot Bethlehem]], he ducks behind an empty oil drum. It somehow manages to protect him and he comes out unscratched, while ''seven'' rounds pierce through the thin metal.

-->'''Carrier:''' Name's Clark. Postal Carrier of the [[spoiler:restored Republic of California]]. Who are you?

* TokenMinority: Woody, Ford, and Clark are the only people of color with speaking parts in the film (only a few others are even shown).

* InNameOnly: Compared with [[Literature/ThePostman the novel]], the movie is barely recognizable. The scene where the main character discovers the postman's uniform is the only scene from the book to make it into the movie. Otherwise the main character and his motivation is completely different (in the book [[BlackAndGrayMorality he's much less of an obvious white-hat]]), the {{love interest}} is completely different, the villain is completely different (in the book being a genetically enhanced warrior, in the movie just a weird guy with a BeardOfEvil), there is a second 'hero' who was AdaptedOut, and an interesting subplot about a super-powerful AI that is guiding a remote village of survivors back to civilization goes likewise unmentioned in the film. [[http://www.davidbrin.com/postmanmovie.htm The author is well aware that a movie adaptation necessitated changes and has always rather liked the result.]]

** Ford says his name used to be John Stevens (he's also called "Johnny"), and he's Black. The "Johnny" Stevens in the book is White ([[AgeLift he's also a teenager]]).

* ClassicalAntihero: The Postman is an opportunistic coward and a cheat, with the first ''90 minutes'' hammering it down to the audience what sort of man he is.