The English Patient (1996)

The English Patient (1996)

8/10

Starring

Ralph Fiennes

Juliette Binoche

Willem Dafoe

Directed by Anthony Minghella

What a classic.
The English Patient is a romantic drama based on the novel of the same name by Sri Lankan-Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. This is a movie you have to make sure you see. Set before and during World War II, the film tells its story through a series of flashbacks, which merge with the present events of how the patient ended up in the monastery.

This is a movie that will thrill you with its screenplay—there’s never a dull moment on screen. Each scene unfolds more of the mystery, drawing you in and making you want to see how it all connects. It was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won 9, including Best Picture (it also won Best Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes and Best Film at the BAFTA Awards) and Best Director for the late Anthony Minghella.

One of the great things about The English Patient is the acting, particularly by Juliette Binoche, who plays Hana. She was exquisite, and there wasn’t a dull moment whenever she was on screen.

The movie follows an English patient (Ralph Fiennes) during World War II. He’s badly burned and being cared for by a nurse named Hana (Juliette Binoche) in a monastery. The mystery surrounding this patient is that he speaks fluent English and seems to know practically every song, but he refuses to reveal his name, claiming he’s forgotten it.

Also at the monastery is a man who calls himself a thief (Willem Dafoe). He’s hunting for someone he knew before the war, a man he believes betrayed him to the Germans.

While lying in bed, unable to move, the English patient begins to have flashbacks about his life before the war—the woman he fell in love with and the events that led to their relationship. The flashbacks and the thief’s investigations all lead to one question: “Who is this English patient, and how did he get so badly burned?”

The movie was both a critical and commercial success in 1996, earning nearly 10 times its $27 million production budget. One thing you’ll also appreciate is the cinematography. The film boasts some of the best cinematography out there, from the plane scenes to the breathtaking desert scenery—it’s all wonderful.

If you’re like me and waited this long to even consider watching this film, then you’re just delaying the experience of one of the best romantic dramas out there.