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The English Patient
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The English Patient (1996) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   48,845 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 22% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Anthony Minghella
Writers (WGA):
Michael Ondaatje (novel)
Anthony Minghella (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for The English Patient on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
15 November 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Romance | Drama | War more
Tagline:
In love, there are no boundaries. more
Plot:
At the close of WWII, a young nurse tends to a badly-burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won 9 Oscars. Another 41 wins & 37 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(100 articles)
New Clash of the Titans Filming Locations
 (From MovieWeb. 18 June 2009, 5:56 AM, PDT)

Gays of our Lives (June 16, 2009)
 (From AfterElton.com. 16 June 2009, 6:01 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
Epic story that mixes lust with a mystery story – worthy stuff but a touch too slow more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for sexuality, some violence and language.
Runtime:
162 min
Country:
USA | UK
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Company:
Miramax Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Early into the production, Anthony Minghella fell over and broke his ankle. Therefore for much of the shoot he was either in plaster or crutches. more
Goofs:
Continuity: The fuse on the bomb physically changes between shots while Kip works on it. And, in the extreme close-up of the wires being cut, just one connected wire is seen. more
Quotes:
Almásy: How can you ever smile, as if your life hadn't capsized? more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in There's Something About... Morse (2007) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
The Darktown Strutters' Ball more

FAQ

How did Geoffrey (Katharine's husband) know she was having an affair?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more
69 out of 91 people found the following comment useful:-
Epic story that mixes lust with a mystery story – worthy stuff but a touch too slow, 26 February 2002
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK

Tuscany WW2. Traumatised by the loss of anyone she cared for or loved, Canadian nurse Hana stays behind her unit with a dying patient, Count Laszlo de Almásy. de Almásy is burnt all over and has lost his memory. When a vengeful, mysterious thief arrives at their abandoned monastery with a past that seems to include de Almásy , and as Hana reads from his book, memories return regarding his past. He relives his story of lust and love and the destructive force that forbidden passion unleashed upon his life.

This is quite a modern epic. It has the running time of an epic, it has the gorgeous cinematography of an epic, it has the acting of an epic and it has a story of love (lust) against the backdrop of major events in history. Even though it changes or leaves out a significant amount of the original novel it still manages to be a great mix of passionate desire and mystery. The mystery of the story is represented by the thief Caravaggio who casts light on what he knows of de Almásy's past (as he sees it) while the love story is unfolded as it develops in a passionate affair between him and Katherine, a colleagues' wife. The story is compelling enough to carry the long running time, at times the pace seems a little slow and when I saw it in my local multiplex there were some moments where large portions of the audience seemed to be shifting in their seats.

The ‘love' of the story was interesting as it seems to be contrasted with Hana's relationship with Kip the bomb disposal expert. While de Almásy's relationship with Katherine starts as lust and desire before growing into what seems to be love (or could be grief at the result of their affair), Hana's is portrayed as purer and more careful as she fears those she loves will die. This difference helped me see that the film did want to show the destructive power of lust and affairs, however the fact that the central relationship was based more on lust than love took away from the emotional core of the story.

The acting is almost impeccable. Fiennes is excellent even when he is lost behind an unrecognisable mask of burnt flesh. Thomas is actually very good, I find she tends to be very wooden in some things but this type of very English character brings the best out of her. Binoche is excellent as Hana and carries the heart of the film. Dafoe is truly excellent - his element of the story is the mystery and he does it well. He is a great actor and deserves to be in things this good. The support cast include plenty of good actors including Colin Firth, Jurgen Prochnow and Naveem Andrews.

The film is beautifully shot - even though it's all a bit too picturesque to be real! However the director can handle himself well with many different scenes - a tense bomb diffusal, a passionate love scene, a dangerous sand storm etc. Overall the slow pace may frustrate some younger audiences but this is a really good film that draws it's values from classy sources.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The English Patient (1996)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
WHY IS THIS NOT IN THE TOP 250 ericlafitte
Why do Kip and Hana break up in the end? angel_de_tourvel
Sex scene Orli-Lover
Where does the love b/w Katherine and Almasy come from? siensunshine
A few questions ca111026
question that I haven't been able to answer. rewopswaj
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