The English Patient (1996)

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:

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.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The music that Hanna plays on the bomb-rigged piano does not correspond with the keys that she is actually playing.

Quotes:

Hana: There's a man downstairs. He brought us eggs. He might stay.
Almásy: Why? Can he lay eggs?
Hana: He's Canadian.
Almásy: Why are people always so happy when they collide with someone from the same place? What happened in Montreal when you passed a man in the street? Did you invite him to live with you?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Man yan (2004)

Soundtrack:

Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht (Silent Night, Holy Night)

Absolute Perfection!

TEP is like a long cool drink of water after crawling across the Sahara to classic film buffs who have been too long deprived of that certain cinematic magic! Not only is it beautifully photographed, but the characters are perfectly portrayed. If you're looking for the film to be a mirror of the book, you will be seriously disappointed. Instead, it is an excellent "companion" to the book, and I think that is what Anthony Minghella intended. Ralph Fiennes is probably the most beautiful man in the world; not to mention a brilliant actor. Juliette Binoche is the posterchild for vulnerability and childlike enthusiasm. And, of course, I'll go see any film in which Kristin Scott Thomas is featured. She simply must be THE best actress since the likes of Deborah Kerr. So much was promised with this film, and so much is delivered!