#49 The English Patient

The English Patient (1996)
Directed by Anthony Minghella
Written by Anthony Minghella, based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje
Starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Kristin Scott Thomas, Willem Dafoe, Naveen Andrews, Julian Wadham & Colin Firth
Cinematography by John Seale
It is my humble opinion that The English Patient should act like a blueprint for all movies being adapted from books. The reason the film succeeds far more than its literary counterpart is because it, dare I say, seems to understand its characters more (or at least lets the audience discover a lot more about them.) For instance, the character of Catharine Clifton, who is more of a spectre than a romantic lead in the book, comes to life exquisitely here, thanks in large part to Kristin Scott Thomas' film-stealing performance - alluring, intelligent and coldly lascivious. Furthermore, the juxtaposition between the two central love stories (Laszlo and Catharine's epic but disastrous love affair, and Hana and Kip's hope-filled and quietly desperate relationship) thankfully remains intact, but a lot of the novel's awkward, extraneous subplots are played down or removed altogether (I'm thinking of Carravaggio's constant and annoying presence in the novel.) Something I've always found fascinating about the movie is how dreamlike and succinct it feels, despite running for more than two and a half hours. Simply put though, for a film that's really about the horror and pain of wartime, there is a whole lot of beauty and passion to be found in The English Patient.

Nominated for 12 Oscars (Actor - Fiennes, Actress - Thomas, Adapted Screenplay), winner of 9 (Picture, Director, Supporting Actress - Binoche, Cinematography, Film Editing, Original Dramatic Score, Art Direction, Costume Design, Sound)