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Rating: 4.25 out of 5
Love has a way of entering people’s lives. Even during a major World War, love finds a way. In the unlikeliest time, two people can come together and love each other. Even with love, sometimes circumstances don’t work out. How about when both are married. Would you go for that forbidden love or move on?
Directed by Anthony Minghella from his own script based on the 1992 novel written by Michael Ondaatje. The English Patient is about a man burned beyond recognition which speaks with an English accent. As he recovers, he recalls his history in a series of flashbacks, revealing his identity and love affair. During the final campaign of WWII in Italy, Hana (Binoche), a French-Canadian nurse working in a mobile army medical unit, has become distraught. Everything that she cared about has died before her very eyes, especially when one of the trucks carrying her best friend is blown sky-high. Hana, in her pain, almost runs and steps on a land mine. Hana volunteers to move into a bombed-out Italian monastery to look after a dying, critically burned man (Fiennes) who speaks English but says he cannot remember his name. She agrees that she will catch up once the man dies. As Hana talks to the man, the patient only remembers that he is English and married. Their peaceful time is interrupted when Canadian David Caravaggio (Dafoe), part of the Intelligence Service, believes that he knows the Patient as a man who works for the Germans. Caravaggio believes that the patient isn’t being honest about his memory and running away from his past mistakes. The patient finally opens up about his past and states that he works as a cartographer in North Africa, but it was interrupted by the war. He tells Hana that he isn’t running from work but a love affair he had with the beautiful Katharine Clifton (Dame Thomas). As the Patient describes his life, the truth will unfold for all to hear.
I have to admit that I really enjoyed how the story of this film was presented. Before watching, I thought it would be some boring-ass tale about a dude who was in the hospital and told stories to people in the hospital before he died. Even though the story is something like that, it is far more entertaining along with being more of a long story. The film actually has three stories in one. The first one dealt with Almásy, whose skin is burned to a crisp and identified as the English Patient because of his accent. During his recovery, he explains to Hana how he ended where he was and that he was part of a group of explorers. Almásy’s story is told through flashbacks and his love affair with Katherine. You can tell that it was wrong because Katherine was married, and her husband found out. Let me tell you that this love affair was wild, especially the scene during Christmas. The flashbacks go in chronological order and end where the start of the film begins. I was feeling that love affair because Almásy got HIGHLY jealous, and in the end, when Katherine professed her love for him, you couldn’t help but get the feels.
The second story deals with David Caravaggio. In the present, he is interrogating the Patient and seems to have some deep-rooted anger towards the Patient as he believes he was someone who turned him in. What’s crazy is that during dude’s flashback, we learn about Caravaggio’s backstory. We learn that Caravaggio is a Canadian Intelligence Corps operative, and during a mission, he is caught and tortured during a German interrogation. During the interrogation, the Germans cut off his freakin thumbs. Don’t know what to tell you, homie. At least you don’t need five-finger gloves anymore.
The story that actually intertwines both of the stories is with Hana. Hana is a French-Canadian nurse in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. She is charged with taking care of the English Patient and allowing Caravaggio to stay at the monetary. We also see Hana fall in love with one of the bomb experts. Hana is vital to the story because she is the one that everyone confides in before a major decision must be made.
Let’s talk about that cinematography. If you want to see some beautiful shots of the desert and beautiful images of the plane flying through the sky, then this is a great film. Yet, the essence comes from the close-up shots of the main characters. Where you see their love and hate for each other. The bathroom scene where Almásy and Katherine are together. The scene shows that there in the hot ass Sahara town, but the subtle sunlight that hits off Katherine’s skin makes you want to touch her. Another scene is when everyone gets caught in the sandstorm. You feel like there is no way out as the camera looks around and shows nothing but sand.
The music is phenomenal in this film. Usually, I wouldn’t care about music, but this one hit differently. It was powerful when it needed to be and somber during tender and loving moments. Would I go out and buy the soundtrack? Nope, but it was a major highlight that brought on major feelings and emotions during the whole film. Great job, and applaud needs to be given to the producer of the musical score.
As far as the acting goes, everyone should be applauded for their job. Ralph Fiennes as Almásy was excellent. It almost felt like he was playing dual roles. One of his former self in the past and one as the Patient in the bed. Kristin Scott Thomas as Katharine Clifton brought the passion of a woman who seemed to be in a loveless marriage but wanted something more in life. She was beautiful, and her ending scene was powerful. Willem Dafoe as Caravaggio was interesting in the sense that it was Dafoe. Homeboy knows how to act, and when he shows he had no thumbs, you could tell that homeboy had sadness and pain in his eyes. Finally, the lovely Juliette Binoche as Hana. She was the one that held the story together as she talked to the two male leads in the movie, along with showing Hana smitten and falling in love. She also showed that Hana had a very caring heart, ready to risk her life when a truck exploded.
The English Patient is a love story that many people might not want to watch. For one, I didn’t want to watch it but actually found it enjoyable. The acting is excellent, and the scenery is equally impressive. Love comes from many places, and to hear how one found and lost love is a story for everyone.
