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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Based on Michael Ondaatje's sweeping WWII novel, "The English Patient" is the story of a young Allied nurse, Hana (Juliette Binoche) who finds herself alone in an abandoned Italian monastery and tending to a mysterious burn victim (Ralph Fiennes). Like David Lean's Dr. Zhivago, this mystical and epic film is told through a series of flash backs integrated with a subplot that is supposedly taking place in the present. During the flash backs we learn of the tragic circumstances that have led to the current state of the stranger. Fiennes is Count Laszlo, an archaeologist -- and assumed Nazi sympathizer -- who is in love with Katherine Clifton (Kristin Scott Thomas). She, unfortunately, is married to the long suffering, dispassionate, Geoffrey (Colin Firth). The two are off gallivanting through the dessert in search of artifacts when the passionate relationship between the Count and Kate ignites. The resulting, all consuming, lust that overtakes these lovers is intricately balanced and compared to Hana's burgeoning romance with an East Indian soldier who defuses bombs, Lt. Kip Singh (Naveen Andrews). Willem Dafoe is brilliantly cast as Caravaggio -- a man whose association with the allies (in a flashback) was exposed to the Nazis, and the result was that Caravaggio's thumbs were brutally amputated with a switchblade. Caravaggio is determined to brutalize the man he believe is responsible for exposing his secret, the man he suspects is the burn victim lying helpless and dying in the monastery. Winner of nine Academy Awards "The English Patient" is a bittersweet love story between four people (two couples) who meet with untimely and destructive forces that ultimately alter the course of their lives forever.
This disc was previously released as a flipper from Miramax in a non-anamorphic and somewhat grainy transfer. The previous disc suffered greatly from the intrusion of pixelization and edge enhancement. It also lacked anything in the way of extras. For the most part, these oversights have been corrected on this newly remastered 2-disc special edition. The picture quality exhibits marginal improvements in both clarity and fidelity, due in large part to the fact that this time around the disc has been enhanced for widescreen televisions. Colors are rich, bold, vibrant and very nicely balanced. Occasionally flesh tones may appear slightly on the pasty side. Otherwise, there is a deep, textured look to the visual presentation that is thoroughly in keeping with the subject matter. Contrast and black levels are bang on. Fine details are nicely realized. Pixelization still exists and sometimes breaks up finer background information. Also, certain scenes tend to look as though some edge effects have been added. Again, all these shortcomings are relatively minor for a picture that will surely not disappoint! The audio has been remastered in 5.1 and exhibits a very visceral and thrilling sonic experience. The sound of Count Laszlo's plane flying over the dunes is both aggressive and stirring and the musical score is wonderfully spread across all 5 channels.
Extras include a very comprehensive commentary by writer-director Anthony Minghella, producer Saul Zaentz and author, Michael Ondaatje. Minghella has more to say than the other two but all contribute fascinating tidbits to the production of the film and the inspiration for the novel. The deleted scenes segment is presented in a unique way -- I won't ruin it for anyone but needless to say, it's more refreshing than the treatment usually afforded deleted scenes. The C.B.C.'s documentary on the making of the film is somewhat of a disappointment, relying heavily on trailer junkets and very little but sound bytes from cast and crew. A series of featurettes round out the involvement of Zaentz, Minghella and production designer Stuart Craig. There's also a nice series of interviews with the cast and crew and a great featurette on Phil Brady, the stills photographer. The culmination of all this extra material and the rather impressive quality of the film transfer lead me to recommend "The English Patient" to all who love a good story and a thoroughly engrossing, great film. |
