In some ways superior to the book

Rating: 8/10 (2 February 1999)

This is a beautiful film, reminiscent of something by David Lean, and in some ways superior to the book, which more closely concentrated on Kip, the sapper, and Hana, the nurse; whereas the film likes the story of Catherine, the spoiled, and Count Almasy, the bitter, better.
I think the film is right for a popular audience. But essentially these are similar works done in different genres. By the way, the book disappoints with its phony PC notions about how Kip and some others might have reacted to the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities, the author imagining that Kip would be offended that the bomb was dropped on "brown people" and not on Europeans; but in truth, few at the time really comprehended nor cared about anything other than ending the horror of the worst war in human history. And I would ask the author, would he like to have stormed the island of Japan? It would have been Corregidor, Iwo Jima, etc. (average Allied death toll at about 33%) a hundred times over.
(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)