| Overall Grade: |
A |
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| Story: |
A |
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| Acting: |
A |
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| Direction: |
A+ |
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| Visuals: |
A+ |
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A Perfect Patient
by Aaro (movies profile)
Mar 20, 2008
2
of
2 people found this review helpful
Over the last several years as my love of film has increased steadily, I have become familiar with many films and their respective directors. One director I have curiously missed out on, however, is Academy-Award winner Anthony Minghella. My accidental evasion of his films is particularly peculiar because he is perhaps best known for his epic romances set during wars; a genre that has produced some of my favorite films. After learning of Minghella’s death, though, I finally corrected this injustice.
Minghella’s best known film of his tragically short career is The English Patient, and there is a good reason for this. As wonderful as Minghella’s other films are The English Patient is a masterpiece, absolutely deserving of the Oscar sweep it was awarded. With a large scope, powerful emotions, and a tear-jerking score The English Patient may have been pure Oscar-bait, but first and foremost it was and is a great film.
Based off a supposedly unadaptable novel by Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient weaves several stories together using an elliptical chronology. The story begins with a plane crash that turns Lazlo Almasy into an “English patient.” Almasy’s face is practically burned off; he is left with a mask of grotesque scars. He is slowly dying, and instead of transporting him further the French-Canadian nurse Hana (Juliet Binoche) takes him up to a monstery and cares for him there. A few other people come to stay at the monastery as well, including the mysterious Caravaggio (Willem Dafoe), and a Sikh bomb diffuser Kip (Naveen Andrews).
The heart of the story is told in flashbacks though as Almasy and Katharine Clifton (Kristin Scott-Thomas) fall for each other. Almasy has a particularly hard exterior, but Katharine slowly melts him. She is also married, and though her husband George (Colin Firth) seems genial Katherine fears he will break if he were to discover the truth.
Before The English Patient, Minghella was had only made two smaller films: Truly, Madly, Deeply, and Mr. Wonderful. He was also a playwright, but nothing in his career had prepared him to take on such a large scale project. He overcomes his inexperience easily though; the film has as much epic grandeur as any I have ever viewed. A significant chunk of the credit probably goes to the talented crew Minghella was able to assemble: cinematographer John Seale, composer Gabriel Yared, and legendary editor/sound mixer Walter Murch. All three do masterful jobs, and each deservedly won the Oscar for their accomplishments. Seale’s cinematography is consistently breathtaking; whether he is filming a tired man walking on a desert hill with a giant sun in the background, or he is shooting two lovers going at it in a small room while a Christmas party is going on outside, the one consistency is the pure beauty of each image. Minghella claimed Gabriel Yared’s score is one of the greats, and it is hard to disagree. Movie music often functions as an emotional cue for the audience; but Yared uses it to further enhance the emotion the characters feel on screen. Finally, there is Walter Murch, who handled both the sound and editing of the film. The film’s non-linear approach could have been disastrous, but the way he and Minghella piece the film’s story together is beautiful. Many film avoid straight chronology for no real purpose and the result is detrimental, but in The English Patient there is always a reason for a scene’s placement and the final product is wondrous.
The film would not work though if it were not for the erotic chemistry that develops between Fiennes and Scott-Thomas. The critical component of the film is the romance between these two characters, and Fiennes and Scott-Thomas deliver. The connection that develops between these two actors is incredible; each look is filled with passion. It would not be an understatement to call this one of the great film romances.
All the actors in the film do impeccable jobs. Fiennes, who in some scenes must appear ruggedly handsome and in others is buried under a mask of makeup, balances the two perfectly. In the performance of her career, Scott-Thomas essays a luminous character that is stuck in dire circumstances. It is a brave performance, and a tremendous one. Juliet Binoche is lovely in her role, and though she is not given as much meaty material as the two leads, she never feels the need to overact or chew up the scenery. It is a classic supporting performance by a true leading lady, and it is hard to argue with her Oscar victory. Finally, there is Willem Dafoe who is solid, but never able to delve into his character as much as his co-stars. Naveen Andrews, in his pre-Lost days, fills out the cast with a nice, subtle performance.
While some may have been dissapointed back in 1997 when The English Patient dominated the Oscar’ s over the critical darling Fargo, it is hard to believe could not be swept up by this amazing story. The technical elements are outstanding, the actors are incredible, and Anthony Minghella’s screenplay and direction is perfect. Even though The English Patient is a tragedy, Minghella finds optimism in his heartbraking story. The last shot of the film is of the sun, emanating light. Hopefully, Minghella’s family, friends, and colleagues can also discover a ray of light during this sad time. |
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