An Inspirational Masterpiece!

Rating: Null/10 (21 February 2001)

"I wanted to meet the man who could write such a long paper with so few adjectives." This is what Katherine Clifton tells Almasy on their first meeting. Without sounding too rapturous, I have to say that adjectives fall short of describing the beauty and magnificence of this movie! Lately we've had quite a few movies which have been touted by the media and the various awards alike as great, but which have not seemed so on viewing after all... This is one movie which deserved all the encomium and awards it received. As a matter of fact, I think it was a case of oversight on the part of the jury to not hand over the Best Acting Oscars to Kristin Scott Thomas and Ralph Fiennes.
Extra-marital affairs have been the subject of quite a few books and movies(Fiennes, coincidentally is in 'The End of the Affair' which deals with the same subject), but what makes this movie an exception is the vivid way in which the story unfolds. The opening shot, of the plane gliding over the desert is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful I've seen. The two parallel stories, Hana and Almasy's stay in the dilapidated house and the flashback of Almasy's meeting and affair with Katherine blend effortlessly, culminating into a truly inspiring end. Both these parallel pieces are accentuated by great acting, not only by the leads, but by the supporting actors like Naveen Andrews, Willem Dafoe and Colin Firth. Colin Firth, incidentally, in his huge repertoire of movies has never looked as good as he does in this movie! Not even when he played Mr. Darcy in 'Pride and Prejudice'! Juliette Binoche renders with subtlety and grace the character of Hana who evolves emotionally through her interaction with Almasy, Kip and Caravaggio. She deserved the Best Supporting Actress Oscar hands down...Even though I have great respect for Lauren Bacall(nominated in the same category for 'The Mirror Has Two Faces' and a favorite for the Oscar), I'm glad for once the jury gave the Oscar to someone who truly deserved it.

I think the show-stealer, apart from the great cinematography is Ralph Fiennes! He gives an incredibly moving and sympathetic performance, both as the lover who loses the one he most loves and as the invalid whose only hope is a union with Katherine after death. With Binoche, he's the one who moves the story forward, doing justice not only to his character but also doing credit to his drop-dead good looks! This is the kind of movie which should go into cinematic history as one of the Best ever. It's time we stop considering just 'Casablanca' or 'Gone With The Wind' as the yardstick for great film-making or acting, 'The English Patient' is a modern classic...and Anthony Minghella, a real genius! One only hopes that the kind of greatness displayed in this movie can be seen in many more contemporary movies...