The English Patient (1996)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Anthony Minghella

Writers (WGA):

Michael Ondaatje (novel)
Anthony Minghella (screenplay)

Release Date:

15 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama | War

Tagline:

In love, there are no boundaries.

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.

Plot Keywords:

Crash | Nurse | Love | WWII | Flashback

Awards:

Won 9 Oscars. Another 41 wins & 37 nominations

Cast

Ralph Fiennes	...	Count Laszlo de Almásy
Juliette Binoche	...	Hana
Willem Dafoe	...	David Caravaggio
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Katharine Clifton
Naveen Andrews	...	Kip
Colin Firth	...	Geoffrey Clifton
Julian Wadham	...	Madox
Jürgen Prochnow	...	Major Muller
Kevin Whately	...	Hardy
Clive Merrison	...	Fenelon-Barnes
Nino Castelnuovo	...	D'Agostino
Hichem Rostom	...	Fouad
Peter Rühring	...	Bermann
Geordie Johnson	...	Oliver
Torri Higginson	...	Mary

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, some violence and language.

Runtime:

162 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English | German | Italian | Arabic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #34884) | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Denmark:15 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:PG-13 | Brazil:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:12 (bw) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Sean Connery was actively considering playing the part of Caravaggio before he backed out of the production.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the Tobruk interrogation center, the German officer wears the shoulder boards of a major and the SS collar insignia of a full colonel.

Quotes:

Almásy: Let me tell you about winds. There is a whirlwind from southern Morrocco, the aajej, against which the fellahin defend themselves with knives. And there is the ghibli, from Tunis...
Katharine Clifton: [giggling] The "ghibli"?
Almásy: [smiling] - the ghibli, which rolls and rolls and rolls and produces a rather strange nervous condition. And then there is the harmattan, a red wind, which mariners call the sea of darkness. And red sand from this wind has flown as far as the south coast of England, apparently producing showers so dense they were mistaken for blood.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Man yan (2004)

Soundtrack:

Yes! We Have No Bananas

as below

I like this movie above all others. It is "multi-layered"; there is so much to see and appreciate. Every viewing brings a new appreciation of the story-line, the plot and the characters. Faultlessly acted and extremely enjoyable if you take the time to watch it and appreciate it. I love the interaction between the players; the subtle relationships; the period atmosphere. Ralph Fiennes is perfectly cast as the brooding lover and Geoffrey the wronged husband is beautifully underplayed by Colin Firth. The scene in the sand storm where Catherine & El-masy are discussing the different types of sand storms is one of the high-lights of the film and where the affair really starts. The other relationship between Hanna & El-masy is yet another "layer" of the movie which is totally enchanting (and heart-rending). A worthy winner of so many awards.