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The English Patient (1996)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
15 November 1996 (USA)
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Tagline:
In love, there are no boundaries. more
Plot:
At the close of WWII, a young nurse tends to a badly-burned plane crash victim. His past is shown in flashbacks, revealing an involvement in a fateful love affair. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 9 Oscars.
Another 41 wins
&
37 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(135 articles)
Philippe Mora: The Hollywood Interview
(From The Hollywood Interview. 22 December 2009, 11:28 AM, PST)
Kristin Scott Thomas: 'I've been a very sad person, but I'm not any more'
(From The Guardian - Film News. 20 December 2009, 4:05 PM, PST)
(From The Hollywood Interview. 22 December 2009, 11:28 AM, PST)
Kristin Scott Thomas: 'I've been a very sad person, but I'm not any more'
(From The Guardian - Film News. 20 December 2009, 4:05 PM, PST)
User Comments:
An epic tale of doomed love
more (409 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Ralph Fiennes | ... | Count Laszlo de Almásy | |
| Juliette Binoche | ... | Hana | |
| Willem Dafoe | ... | David Caravaggio | |
| Kristin Scott Thomas | ... | Katharine Clifton | |
| Naveen Andrews | ... | Kip | |
| Colin Firth | ... | Geoffrey Clifton | |
| Julian Wadham | ... | Madox | |
| Jürgen Prochnow | ... | Major Muller | |
| Kevin Whately | ... | Hardy | |
| Clive Merrison | ... | Fenelon-Barnes | |
| Nino Castelnuovo | ... | D'Agostino | |
| Hichem Rostom | ... | Fouad | |
| Peter Rühring | ... | Bermann | |
| Geordie Johnson | ... | Oliver | |
| Torri Higginson | ... | Mary |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for sexuality, some violence and language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
162 min
Colour:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
USA:R (certificate #34884) |
Iceland:12 (video rating) |
Iceland:14 (original rating) |
Denmark:15 |
South Korea:18 |
Philippines:PG-13 |
Brazil:16 |
Argentina:13 |
Australia:M |
Canada:14A |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-12 |
France:U |
Germany:12 (bw) |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Netherlands:12 |
Norway:15 |
Peru:14 |
Portugal:M/12 |
Singapore:M18 (re-rating) |
Singapore:R(A) (original rating) |
Spain:13 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Early into the production, Anthony Minghella fell over and broke his ankle. Therefore for much of the shoot he was either in plaster or crutches.
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Goofs:
Continuity: Hana lays on a cot, an IV in her arm, donating blood. But when she rises off the cot just as the shelling begins in the next shot, the IV is gone.
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Movie Connections:
Featured in Super Secret Movie Rules: Tear Jerkers (2004) (TV)
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Soundtrack:
Szerelem, Szerelem
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FAQ
A Note Regarding SpoilersWas The English Patient based on a novel?
How did Geoffrey (Katharine's husband) know she was having an affair?
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more (409 total)
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'The English Patient' can rightly be compared to the films of David Lean, whose sweeping epics such as 'Lawrence of Arabia' and 'Bridge on the River Kwai' must have inspired the director Anthony Minghella. The film is beautifully photographed, and like 'Lawrence', is set in Northern Africa, but during the second world war. The story is complex, but it boils down to a forbidden love between an opinionated and often difficult archeologist played by Ralph Fiennes and a married woman played by Kristin Scott Thomas.
The story, based on a novel by Michael Ondaatje, is told in flashbacks by Fiennes' Count Laszlo de Almasy - the titular character. The fact that his name does not sound like he's English plays a key role in what unfolds. He has been badly burned in a plane crash, occurring just as the film opens, and is being cared for back in Europe by Hana, an army nurse played by Juliette Binoche. What makes this story epic is the vast sweep across place and time, and the development of characters beyond that of the two ill-fated lovers. The film makes clear that true love and passion, even with dreaded consequences, can make life worth living, or worth dying for. If you're a romantic at heart, and can appreciate a film without the standard happy endings and simple moral codes, you may find that 'The English Patient' speaks directly to you.