A Poetic Masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (4 February 2015)

Love in the present, Love in the past; "The English Patient" is a love story through and through, and one of the best I might add. In a year of tornadoes twisting, aliens arriving, schoolgirls screaming and Cuba Gooding Jr. creating catchphrases; The English Patient soared high as an epic that was definitely deserving of its win. I know that this is not an opinion which is universally agreed upon (Leigh's "Secrets & Lies" has a heavy following, as does the Coen's "Fargo") but 'The English Patient' has all of the ingredients of a gorgeous and enchanting epic, a film which deserves to be respected.
Based on the 1992 novel of the same name (written by Michael Ondaatje), the film dips back and forth between past and present with one man at the centre of it all: the English Patient. In the present he is a patient, badly burnt due to a plane crash and cared to by a young war nurse in an Old Italian Villa. These are the final days of the Second World War. Our protagonist (although it's initially difficult to tell) is portrayed by Ralph Fiennes, who after a stellar performance in Schindler's List, continued to push out another terrific role as Count Laszlo de Almasy. Fiennes is superb in the portrayal of a man whose history is a mystery, and whose current charred state has aided in turning him into a blank slate. Slowly, but surely, he begins to remember events from his past. It's a performance of great dynamics, intelligence and passion.
Caring for him is Hana, a twenty-something-year-old nurse played by Juliette Binoche, and she is someone to marvel at in this outstanding and affecting performance. Between finding love in a Sapper named Kip (Naveen Andrews) and tending to her English Patient (technically Hungarian by Birth), Binoche unveils the layers of a quiet yet complex character. An independent yet still frightened woman, Binoche is to die for. There is one other member that arrives at the Villa: David Caravaggio (cunningly portrayed by Willem Dafoe) a thief missing both of his thumbs, who initially is there to pinch a bit of morphine, before realising who the English Patient actually is
But as I said, this tale dips between past and present. I've discussed the present enough, so let's jump deeper into the tale. Set in the 1930's, Fiennes is no longer disfigured. He's a co-leader of an archaeological surveying expedition in the African Desert. It is in this time of the story where we meet Katherine and Geoffrey Clifton, a pair of Married British explorers. Katherine (Kristin Scott Thomas in her best on-screen performance to date) is the catalyst that sets the story's love affair right off. "She's Charming and she's read everything". Count Almasy is mesmerized (for lack of a better word) by Katherine and descends into a love affair that has strong consequences upon both of them. Fiennes and Scott Thomas share some of the best on-screen chemistry in 90's cinema not only in their erotic and sumptuous love scenes, but also the moments when she is still in the presence of her husband George (a fine performance by Colin Firth). You could cut the romantic-friction with a blade. Of course, Firth begins to piece things together and trouble ensues. The relationship between these two contrasts nicely with that of Hana and Kip in the present timeline. One of gentle passion, against the heavy intensity of the affair.
The film is gorgeously shot by John Seale, who deservingly won the Oscar for Best Cinematography. Sand hadn't looked this good since "Lawrence of Arabia" and few films of its time could have managed to match the beauty and scope that Seale and director, Anthony Minghella had achieved. Just watch the opening scene as its focused beauty unfolds: Flying across the desert landscape, the shadow of a biplane, glides in and out of frame and the pull-back of the camera reveals a man and woman flying inside. This scene alone (aside from being beautifully shot) sets up the film's story, in the sense that, all of the films events seemingly lead up, and are a result of, what is viewed in this moment. The film will later go on to reveal who these figures are, and why this is significant. Minghella's non- linear timeline may confuse viewers at first, but don't for a moment think that he doesn't know what he is doing. As the plane is shot down, your curiosity and excitement will be awakened.
Aside from directing the film, Minghella also adapted Ondaatje's novel (not butchered, adapted). It's a story of War, Love, Passion, Sin; and told through a vivid and beautiful poetic structure. As said before, Minghella dives between past and present through the use of flashbacks beautifully, and hats off to Walter Murch's smooth editing, piecing these two strands together like a perfect puzzle.
So many points in this film are hard hitting and test the viewer emotionally. But having said that, it's not all tragic. Binoche shares numerous scenes with Naveen Andrews which, yes, ultimately comes to an inevitably sad end, but watch as the two of them swing around the roof of an old church, admiring the paintings to the sound of Gabriel Yared's poetic score. In the midst of tragedy, silver linings can still be found. A love that Hana thought died within her years ago has been rekindled. It's moments like this that restore one's faith in humanity, that make you smile during a film that has conveyed sorrow. That's powerful cinema if you ask me.
The English Patient is a beautiful film, it's the romantic epic that "Gone with the Wind" wishes it could be (that's right, I went there). The Ensemble cast is brilliant, and Minghella tells such a great story with a bold and fascinating vision. Screw the haters; "The English Patient" is one of the finest war-come-romance films ever made.