some spoilers read james m cain novel the postman always rings twice movie based cannot compare film version it seen love  us version also entitled postmanbr br even better gem italy which read mutilated editing many blatant references fascist regime well matter left fine piece cinema apparently forerunner neorealist movement filmmaking one certainly see despite whatever harsh editing go on pervading sense societal cultural well personal oppression remains hanging heavy protagonists therefore face many limits lifebr br consider gino young drifter well educated unemployed resorting stowing away stealing conning people order get by one pair shoes threadbare virtually uselessbr br in giovanna sees way out yet kept going giovanna oppressed loveless marriage older man money job working trattoria husband slaving away behind bar kitchen sex past limited options decided marry restaurantgas station owner giuseppe bregana played juan de landa anyway knowing would make happy tells gino feels sick every time bregana touches herbr br on pretext helping bregana fix car sending village buy needed part which fact pocketed gino wins breganas favor promising also fix broken water pump water symbolizing life lack thereof left alone giovanna immediately start heated passionate yet volatile love affairbr br gino soon feels stifled relationship feels need move giovanna proposes dispose husband wanting part it gino leaves town train ride cannot afford kindly paid another gypsytype man named spagnolo fellow train passenger gino spagnolo represents sort freedom become friends spagnolo also symbolizes ginos morality conscience traveling finding work carnival together finally gino steady employment dismay he yet love giovanna month passed bregana wife go carnival bregana persuades gino go back home live work again handy aroundbr br too weakwilled resist knowing reunite giovanna gino agrees goes back stay couple gives ginas demands get rid husband evil deed done giovanna becomes coldblooded ever seeming little conscience guilt shame eat away gino hurting man never harm much wants leave briefly inextricably linked must face consequencesbr br i liked way spagnolo character came back ginos life act judge misdeeds good interesting adding another dimension storybr br while  us version lana turner john garfield gets bit lost quagmire peripheral characters especially cops lawyers ossessione well concentrate much psychological effects crime lovers alone gives final outcome even potency makes powerful statement reinforcing helplessness inherent society characters must livebr br a minor quibble amount time hardly any elapses undying love pronounced lovers quickly kill husband there botched first attempt us version ginos quicktoescalate relationship dancerhooker quickly profess love well willing risk great deal man met rather unrealistic it found timeframe problem quite distracting made think must missed something somewhere otherwise well worth viewers time acting direction uniformly good throughout recommended