Country: USA | UK
Language: English | German | Italian | Arabic
Director: Anthony Minghella
The other picture I have chosen is The English Patient based on a novel by Michael Ondaatje. The film was directed by Anthony Minghella who didn't have much experience at the time. Apart from that, most of the actors were largely unknown to the international viewers.
The film features the story of a polyglot & explorer who is a Hungarian count and is stationed in African desert.
The reasons because of which I admired the film were the performances of Kristin Scott Thomas, Ralph Fiennes, William Dafoe, Naveen Andrews and Juliette Binoche. An extremely artistic but very tight direction by Minghella, the excellent cinematography and the forbidden romance which seems to be one of the most liked themes of all times.
The single "Zerelem Zerelem" that plays along with the film's opening credits has a very sad tune that goes perfectly with the picture's sad storyline.
The other thing that I admired in the story was the Fiennes's slightly grey character's going beyond any limits for his love.
The backdrop of Second World War was enlightening about the personal lives of people that generally do not get as much attention as the direct damage caused by a war. I liked the philosophy that ethics are a very individual perception and what at the moment seems ethical to the whole world might turn out be unethical in the long run and vice versa.
I also admired the way the film tells that to a person what is important primarily is what is directly related to him; not some nation, creed or race. That shows perfectly clearly in one of my favorite lines from the movie "I went in Maddox's English plane with German gasoline" uttered by Fiennes.
It is a great film that entertains and saddens at the same time. Do watch it only if you are ready to cry a bit.
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