L'incroyable histoire du facteur Cheval

This amazing film of a true story is a unique masterpiece of its kind, like no other film, while the associations you get are mainly to the stylistic refinery of Carl Th. Dreyer, who had a knack of making quiet films with sustained inner life all through in spite of minimal action, thus producing a very high level of consistently serene style. The postman here is just an ordinary postman, he walks 32 kilometers every day to deliver his mail, when at the age of 53 he gets the idea to build a dream castle for his daughter. He has no talent but for dreaming, and yet he accomplishes in 33 years of daily toil an architectural wonder comparable with the cathedral of Antonio Gaudí, stone by stone, day by day, in incessant obstinacy against all objections by his wife and neighbours to his work, calling him a madman. Yet his life's work is there still standing today after 150 years, designed a national monument by the state. The film has tuned in perfectly to his mood and reticent character, it is a slow motion picture but of infinite poetry and beauty, and the true story is like a universal sermon that could but benefit anyone. It ends in serenity, crowning the poetical character of the film with an extra sense of timeless beauty.

Yes the authentic story of this countryside mail man, Postman, who, decades after decades picked up stones during his walk to keep tose stones and using them to build up some kind of gigantic palace. he was a dreamer, a man out of the real world. A very Moving movie pulled by an awesome Jacques Gamblin. Destined to anyone, but unfortuntely not a feature that anyone will appreciate. Such a shame.

With stunningly beautiful cinematography and the careful, quiet precision of good acting, this is always about 'the palace', after all.

An interesting and extreme reserved personality which many of his village thought meant he was backward or mad, a postman, with the most patient and beautiful wife who understands him despite her loneliness in doing so, builds a 'palace' for his adored and cherished daughter.

This amazing true story is nothing short of quite incredible, in the truest sense of the word. With imagination, heart, dedication and stubborn will, a simple postman creates by himself, a magical stone and mortar palace for his daughter. It still stands today.

Worth the watch, although it's a slow one, but nonetheless, worth the watch. If you're creative, this will resonate at many levels.

The persistence of a man who keeps his feelings mainly to himself, to build a palace mainly from stones in the countryside, guided by pictures on postcards he delivered on his daily 32 km round through beautiful countryside, is awesome. The project took 33 years whilst still doing his postman's duties by foot. The palace still stands today in Hauterives, France.

The kind of movie that is very moving! A film that respects the intelligence of moviegoers: things can be guessed at, without the director feeling obliged to point them out to us in broad strokes, thus respecting the moviegoers who are going to see the film. The photography is remarkable, the performance of all the actors and actresses is sublime and the makeup work (aging) is perfect. The music, not bad but too ordinary compared to the whole, inhabits the scenes a little too much. We come away moved, overwhelmed and, despite everything, imbued with a feeling of tenderness towards humanity. A great film!