The English Patient is a 1996 epic romantic war drama directed by Anthony Minghella from his own script based on the 1992 novel by Michael Ondaatje, and produced by Saul Zaentz. The film starred Ralph Fiennes and Kristin Scott Thomas alongside Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe and Colin Firth in supporting roles.
| The English Patient | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Anthony Minghella |
| Screenplay by | Anthony Minghella |
| Based on | The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje |
| Produced by | Saul Zaentz |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | John Seale |
| Edited by | Walter Murch |
| Music by | Gabriel Yared |
Production company | Tiger Moth Productions |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films (United States) Miramax International (United Kingdom; through Buena Vista International[1]) |
Release date |
|
Running time | 162 minutes[2] |
| Countries | United States[3][4] United Kingdom[5] |
| Languages |
|
| Budget | $27–43 million[6][7][8] |
| Box office | $232 million[6] |
The eponymous protagonist, a man burned beyond recognition who speaks with an English accent, recalls his history in a series of flashbacks, revealing to the audience his true identity and the love affair in which he was involved before the war. The film ends with a definitive onscreen statement that it is a highly fictionalized account of László Almásy (died 1951) and other historical figures and events. The film received widespread critical acclaim and emerged as a major commercial success at the box-office.
The film received twelve nominations at the 69th Academy Awards, winning nine, including Best Picture, Best Director for Minghella, and Best Supporting Actress for Binoche. It was also the first to receive a Best Editing Oscar for a digitally edited film. Ralph Fiennes, playing the titular character, and Kristin Scott Thomas were Oscar-nominated for their performances. The film also won five BAFTA Awards and two Golden Globes. The British Film Institute ranked The English Patient the 55th-greatest British film of the 20th century.[9] The American Film Institute ranked it the 56th-greatest love story of all time.[10]
As of August 2021, the novel was in early development for a new BBC television series, co-produced by Miramax Television and Paramount Television Studios.[11][12]
Plot
editA British biplane, flying across the desert, is shot down by German gunners. The badly burned pilot is pulled from the wreckage and rescued by a group of Bedouin.
Hana, a French-Canadian WWII Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps combat nurse, discovers from a wounded soldier that her boyfriend has been killed. In October 1944 Italy, she is caring for a dying, severely burned English-accented patient who says he cannot remember his name. His only possession is a copy of Herodotus's Histories, with personal notes, pictures, and mementos stored inside.
When a nurse friend is killed in front of her, Hana decides she is a curse to her loved ones. She gains permission to settle in a bombed-out monastery with her patient, as he is suffering during their hospital unit's relocation.
Lieutenant Kip, a Sikh sapper in the British Indian Army posted with Sergeant Hardy to clear German mines and booby traps, soon joins them. David Caravaggio, a Canadian Intelligence Corps operative who was tortured during a German interrogation, also arrives there. He questions the patient, who gradually reveals his past through a series of flashbacks. Over the days of the patient relating his story, Hana and Kip begin a shy love affair.
In the late 1930s, Hungarian cartographer László Almásy is exploring a region of the Sahara as part of a Royal Geographical Society archeological and surveying expedition group, which includes his good friend Englishman Peter Madox, and British couple Geoffrey and Katharine Clifton, who provide aerial surveys using their plane.
Almásy discovers through a Bedouin the location of the ancient Cave of Swimmers, containing cave paintings. As the group documents their findings, Almásy and Katharine fall in love. He writes about her in notes folded into his book, which she discovers when he awkwardly accepts two watercolours of the cave walls and asks her to paste them into the book.
Upon returning to Cairo, they begin an affair, while the group arranges for more detailed archaeological surveys of the cave and the surrounding area. Almásy buys her a silver thimble as a gift. Geoffrey secretly watches her from his car and realizes that she is cheating. Some months later, Katharine abruptly breaks things off, fearing the repercussions from Geoffrey. Shortly afterward the archaeological projects are halted due to the onset of the war. Madox leaves his Tiger Moth airplane at Kufra Oasis before his return to Britain.
Caravaggio now seeks revenge for his injuries, so far killing the German interrogator who cut off his thumbs and the spy who identified him, but now seeks whoever provided maps to the Germans, allowing them to infiltrate Cairo. He suspects Almásy, asking "Did you kill the Cliftons?", to which Almásy concedes "Maybe... I did".
Almásy tells Caravaggio, with Hana listening nearby, about packing camp in 1941 when Geoffrey arrives in the biplane. He aims at Almásy, who jumps out of the way, and crashes. Almásy finds Geoffrey dead at the controls and Katharine badly injured in the front seat. It was an attempted double murder-suicide, as he uncovered their affair. Almásy carries Katharine to the Cave of Swimmers. Seeing her wearing the thimble on a chain, she declares she has always loved him.
Leaving her there with provisions and his book, Almásy walks three days cross-desert. Arriving at British-held El Tag, he explains her desperate situation and asks for help, but a young officer detains him on suspicion of being a spy.
Transported away by train, Almásy escapes and eventually comes across a German army unit. They take him to the Kufra Oasis, where Madox has hidden his plane. Exchanging maps for fuel, Almásy flies to the cave, where he finds Katharine dead. Taking her on the plane, they are burned when shot down, connecting to the opening scene. After hearing the story, Caravaggio gives up his quest for revenge.
Kip is reposted once he has cleared the explosives; he and Hana agree they will meet again. Later, Almásy tells her he has had enough by pushing many vials of morphine towards her. Though distraught, Hana grants his wish, administering the lethal dose. As he drifts to sleep, she reads him Katharine's final letter, written while alone in the cave. The next morning Hana goes with Caravaggio to Florence, holding Almásy's book tightly as they ride away.
Cast
edit- Ralph Fiennes as Almásy
- Juliette Binoche as Hana
- Willem Dafoe as Caravaggio
- Kristin Scott Thomas as Katharine Clifton
- Naveen Andrews as Kip
- Colin Firth as Geoffrey Clifton
- Julian Wadham as Madox
- Jürgen Prochnow as Major Muller
- Kevin Whately as Hardy
- Clive Merrison as Fenelon-Barnes
- Nino Castelnuovo as D'Agostino
- Hichem Rostom as Fouad
- Peter Rühring as Bermann
In addition, Torri Higginson plays Mary and Liisa Repo-Martell plays Jan, appearing briefly as Hana's nursing corps colleagues.
Production
edit
Saul Zaentz was interested in working with Anthony Minghella after he saw the director's film Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990); Minghella brought this project to the producer's attention. Michael Ondaatje, the Sri Lankan-born Canadian author of the novel, worked closely with the filmmakers.[13] According to Minghella, during the development of the project with 20th Century Fox, the "studio wanted the insurance policy of so-called bigger" actors.[14] Zaentz recalled, "they'd look at you and say, 'Could we cast Demi Moore in the role'?"[15] After months of disputes with Fox, the studio pulled out just three weeks before production was to begin and Harvey Weinstein came in and acquired worldwide rights for Miramax Films for $27.5 million.[8][14] After Miramax became involved, the director's preference for Scott Thomas in the role of Katharine was honored.[14] To help the film get made, cast and crew agreed to salary deferrals totalling $10 million and Zaentz met the remainder of the production costs. Including the deferred costs, Variety reported the production costs at $43 million. The deferments were due to be paid after the film broke even, however, although the actors received a deferred payment of $5 million, after over three years after release, others were still waiting for their deferred salaries, subject to an audit of the figures.[8] Zaentz sued Miramax Films in 2006 claiming $20 million but the case was still unresolved when Zaentz died in 2014.[16][17]
The film was shot on location in Tunisia[18] and Italy.[19][20]
The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film[21] by Michael Ondaatje is based on the conversations between the author and film editor. Murch, with a career that already included such complex works as the Godfather trilogy, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now, dreaded the task of editing the film with multiple flashbacks and time frames. Once he began, the possibilities became apparent, some of which took him away from the order of the original script. A reel without sound was made so scene change visuals would be consistent with the quality of the aural aspect between the two. The final cut features over 40 temporal transitions. It was during this time that Murch met Ondaatje and they were able to exchange thoughts about editing the film.[22]
In the film, two types of aircraft were used:[23] a De Havilland D.H.82 Tiger Moth and a Boeing-Stearman Model 75. Both are biplanes.[24] The camp crash scene was made with a 1⁄2-size scale model.
The Hungarian folk song, "Szerelem, Szerelem", performed by Muzsikas featuring Márta Sebestyén, was featured in the film.
Music
editReception
editThe English Patient received widespread critical acclaim, and emerged as a major commercial success at the box-office, and received nine Academy Awards, six BAFTA awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.
Janet Maslin of The New York Times called the movie "a stunning feat of literary adaptation as well as a purely cinematic triumph".[25] In The New Yorker, Anthony Lane argues that "the triumph of the film lies not just in the force and the range of the performances—the crisp sweetness of Scott Thomas, say, versus the raw volatility of Binoche—but in Minghella's creation of an intimate epic: vast landscapes mingle with the minute details of desire, and the combination is transfixing".[26]
The film has a rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 91 reviews, with an average of 7.90/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Though it suffers from excessive length and ambition, director Minghella's adaptation of the Michael Ondaatje novel is complex, powerful, and moving."[27] The film also has a rating of 87/100 on Metacritic, based on 31 critical reviews.[28] Chicago Sun Times critic Roger Ebert gave the film a four-star rating, saying "it's the kind of movie you can see twice – first for the questions, the second time for the answers".[29] In his movie guide, Leonard Maltin rated the film 3+1⁄2 out of 4, calling it "a mesmerizing adaptation" of Ondaatje's novel, saying "Fiennes and Scott Thomas are perfectly matched", and he concluded by calling the film "an exceptional achievement all around".[30] In 2021, The Boston Globe called the movie a "masterpiece" in a 25-year anniversary review.[31]
Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A−" on a scale of A+ to F.[32]
It became the highest-grossing film in the history of Miramax with a worldwide gross of $232 million.[33][6]
The film is referred to in the Seinfeld episode "The English Patient", where the character Elaine is shunned by her friends and co-workers for disliking the film.[34]
Accolades
editLists
edit| Year | Category | Distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | BFI Top 100 British films[9] | #55 |
| 2002 | AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions[10] | #56 |
In 2009, The English Patient was included in The Guardian's 25 best British films of the last 25 years list.[64]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Tied with Mary Tyler Moore for Flirting with Disaster.
- ^ Tied with Chris Menges for Michael Collins.
References
edit- ^ "The English Patient (1996)". BBFC. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
- ^ "The English Patient (15)". British Board of Film Classification. December 4, 1996. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- ^ "The English Patient". American Film Institute. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ "The English Patient". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on July 27, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- ^ Bauer, Patricia. "The English Patient". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- ^ a b c The English Patient at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Shulgasser, Barbara (November 22, 1996). "Masterful 'English Patient'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ a b c Harris, Dana (March 20, 2000). "Zaentz 'English' Impatient". Variety. p. 58.
- ^ a b "British Film Institute – Top 100 British Films". cinemarealm.com. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
- ^ a b "AFI's 100 YEARS…100 PASSIONS". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Anna. "The English Patient – is it time to revive the epic romance?". Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ "'The English Patient' TV Series Adaptation In Works At BBC From Emily Ballou & Miramax TV". Retrieved September 27, 2021.
- ^ Ondaatje, Michael (March 24, 2008). "Remembering my friend Anthony Minghella". The Guardian. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ a b c Blades, John (November 24, 1996). "'The English Patient': Minghella's Film Fitting Treatment of Ondaatje Novel". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ "Saul Zaentz producer of Oscar winning movies dies at 92". The New York Times. January 5, 2014. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ Belloni, Matthew (September 29, 2011). "'The English Patient' Producer Saul Zaentz Sues Disney, Miramax for $20 Million". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ Gardner, Eriq (February 5, 2014). "Miramax Can't Trim Saul Zaentz's $20 Million 'English Patient' Lawsuit". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ "How we made The English Patient". The Guardian. April 20, 2016. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ "The Tuscan locations in The English Patient | Visit Tuscany". www.visittuscany.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
- ^ "Film locations for The English Patient (1996)". movie-locations.com. 2014. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ Ondaatje, Michael (2002). The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-37-570982-1.
- ^ Bolton, Chris (August 31, 2002). "The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film by Michael Ondaatje". Powell's Books. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ "The English Patient". The Internet Movie Plane Database. 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ "Stearman Model 75: History, performance and specifications". pilotfriend.com. 2006. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (November 15, 1996). "Adrift in Fiery Layers of Memory". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ "The English Patient". The New Yorker. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
- ^ The English Patient at Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ The English Patient at Metacritic
- ^ Ebert, Roger (November 22, 1996). "The English Patient Movie Review (1996)". rogerebert.com. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (2013). 2013 Movie Guide. Penguin Books. p. 416. ISBN 978-0-451-23774-3.
- ^ Joudrey, Tom (November 11, 2021). "In defense of 'The English Patient,' a masterpiece". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ "$225,000,000 and still going strong (advertisement)". Screen International. August 8, 1997. pp. 6–7.
- ^ "Why Seinfeld Went in on The English Patient | Vanity Fair". Vanity Fair. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "The 69th Academy Awards (1997) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2011.
- ^ Van Gelder, Lawrence (March 25, 1997). "'English Patient' Dominates Oscars With Nine, Including Best Picture". The New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2008.
- ^ "The ASC Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography". Archived from the original on August 2, 2011.
- ^ "1997 Winners & Nominees". Art Directors Guild. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ "Nominees/Winners". Casting Society of America. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
- ^ "AFI Past Winners - 1997 Winners & Nominees". AFI-AACTA. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
- ^ "Berlinale: 1997 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Archived from the original on November 11, 2013. Retrieved January 8, 2012.
- ^ "BSFC Winners: 1990s". Boston Society of Film Critics. July 27, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "BAFTA Awards: Film in 1997". BAFTA. 1997. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
- ^ "Best Cinematography in Feature Film" (PDF). Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- ^ "The 1998 Caesars Ceremony". César Awards. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1988-2013 Award Winner Archives". Chicago Film Critics Association. January 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ "3rd Annual Chlotrudis Awards". Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
- ^ "The BFCA Critics' Choice Awards :: 1996". Broadcast Film Critics Association. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008.
- ^ "49th DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1996 FFCC AWARD WINNERS". Florida Film Critics Circle. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ "The English Patient – Golden Globes". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "40th Annual GRAMMY Awards". Grammy Awards. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
- ^ "The 22nd Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1996 Award Winners". National Board of Review. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics. December 19, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "1st Annual Film Awards (1996)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ Copeland, Jeff (March 13, 1997). "Producers Honor a Very Patient Zaentz". E! News. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
- ^ "1997 Satellite Awards". Satellite Awards. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ "The 3rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Archived from the original on November 1, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ Baumgartner, Marjorie (December 27, 1996). "Fargo, You Betcha; Society of Texas Film Critics Announce Awards". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
- ^ "1996 SEFA Awards". sefca.net. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ "Past Scripter Awards". USC Scripter Award. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- ^ "Awards Winners". wga.org. Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
- ^ Loach, Ken (August 29, 2009). "Gallery: From Trainspotting to Sexy Beast - the best British films 1984-2009". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
Bibliography
edit- Blakesley, David (2007). "Mapping the other: The English Patient, colonial rhetoric, and cinematic representation". The Terministic Screen: Rhetorical Perspectives on Film. Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 978-0-8093-2488-0.
- Deer, Patrick (2005). "Defusing The English Patient". In Stam, Robert; Raengo, Alessandra (eds.). Literature and Film: A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Film Adaptation. Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-23054-8.
- Minghella, Anthony (1997). The English Patient: A Screenplay by Anthony Minghella. Methuen Publishing. ISBN 0-413-71500-0.
- Thomas, Bronwen (2000). "Piecing together a mirage: Adapting The English patient for the screen". In Giddings, Robert; Sheen, Erica (eds.). The Classic Novel from Page to Screen. Manchester University Press. ISBN 0-7190-5230-0.
- Yared, Gabriel (2007). Gabriel Yared's The English Patient: A Film Score Guide. The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5910-4.
External links
edit
