Rating: 
Summary: Enchanting, Haunting, and Splendid
Review: Adultery is a sin. So what? Anyone who can't see past such settings to see the value of this story should go back to 1st grade. This isn't a guide to living your life, it's a story, one told very well.I'll take this war-time drama anyday over "Saving Private Ryan" (excepting, of course, the first 30 minutes). The movie passionately tells two stories of love: one in the present tense, another through a series of flashbacks, and how far one person will go to save someone they love. It pays great attention to the little things that people fall in love for, as well as the hypocrisies we sometimes engage in when we do. It doesn't try to answer every question presented, and why should it? Most compelling are the musical score (Oscar-winning) and the collage director Anthony Minghella presents on screen. It is not a traditional, front-to-back chronological narrative like so many lesser movies. This allows the director to show us only the things we need to know, rather than waste a lot of time on useless drivel to fill in the voids. The book from which it is adapted won the pretigious Booker Prize in the UK (other winners: "Schindler's List" and "Oscar and Lucinda", both movie adaptations also starring Ralph Fiennes, both excellent). One earlier reviewer criticized the movie for excluding the book's ranting on racist themes about the Hiroshima & Nagasaki bombings. But this part of the book seemed like nothing more than a contrived way to end a story which at heart had absolutely nothing to do with racism, and was the book's only weakness.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: Like fine wine The English Patients gets better and better as it ages in your memory. I have just finished my sixth viewing of this incredibly photagraphed, bueatifully acted heartbreaking masterpiece. The first time I saw it I was sligthly puzzled, but The English Patient is a movie of the third viewing. When you get there, the scenes ring so deep, painful yet beautiful, heartbreaking and exciting, you almost feel sorry for the shallow people who wrote it off the first time. Like Lawrence of Arabia, this movie exposes the mystery of the desert. Inter-cutting it with scenes in Italy, making the viewer feel like he's take an exotic trip to heart of the earth and back. All the while building to a shattering and poetic conclusion. The final words Katherine writes in the cave, being read to the image of Ol Mashi carring her would bring a tear to the heart of the most cynical of cynics. If you give this movie the chance and viewing it deserves, you won't regret it. It's the best movie of the decade.
Rating:
Summary: A truly visual and intellectual feast
Review: This movie is truly an epic. Throughout the duration of the movie we explore images of light and dark, of organic identities, of geographical boundaries of the mind and soul. The blending of cultures is amazing--a Hungarian perceived to be British, but thought by the British to be German and later the Germans to be British, a Hungarian love song that sounds Tunisian! What a wondrous exploration in symbolism and imagery--female forms arising out of sand dunes, people from all cultures fighting to be free of the ghosts and loneliness that haunts their past and present. A terrific passion play, well written, acted, and directed. Completely stunning and breath-taking. It captured my soul.
Rating:
Summary: A truly visual and intellectual feast
Review: This movie is truly an epic. Throughout the duration of the movie we explore images of light and dark, of organic identities, of geographical boubdaries of the mind and soul. The blending of cultures is amazing--a Hungarian perceived to be British, but thought by the British to be German and later the Germans to be British, a Hungarian love song that sounds Tunisian! What a wondrous exploration in symbolism and imagery--female forms arising out of sand dunes, people from all cultures fighting to be free of the ghosts and loneliness that haunt their past and present. A terrific passion play, well written, acted, and directed. Completely stunning and breath-taking. It captured my soul.
Rating:
Summary: sensational
Review: This is a movie that takes you on a cinematic journey most akin to a modern Dr. Zhivago of any modern epic. The English Patient is rich with texture and visual sensations. I would recommend this movie to anyone who experiences movies with all of their senses.
Rating: 
Summary: How this movie received a "Best Picture" award is a mystery
Review: What a disappointment! Truly, when I viewed this movie, I expected more out of it. The movie's plot was shaky, and very weak. Furthermore, the movie did not have any "substance" to it. I would probably watch this movie if I did not have anything better to do.
Rating:
Summary: the best drama after Forrest Gump
Review: Is there a real love? Being owned does it mean die for love
Rating: 
Summary: Good movie, poor quality DVD
Review: Great movie, breathtaking vistas and filming. I found the subject matter that in many ways praised adultery a bit much, but it was still great. And of course Binoche is one of the most beautiful actresses living. The downside is that there are many digital artifacts on the DVD that became jarring to me after a while. The backgrounds often appear 'blochy' because of this. I don't know why this is as my other DVDs don't have this problem.
Rating:
Summary: Stunningly beautiful--film making at its best
Review: Wonderful dialog. Love that can not be denied. Right or wrong, I loved it. I thought it was a smart film and magnificently shot. This is a "true love to the bitter end" story. The book was perfect as well and I highly recommend it. Profoundly moving. Watch it AGAIN if you didn't get it the first time.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutly did not, deserve the best picture award.
Review: The cinephotography was good, but thats it. This movie was horrable, could you people please explain to whats so enjoyable about watching a man that was burned beyond recognition slurp canned milk trough a straw while thinking about his depressing past. The best part of this piece of cinegraphic crap, was the 3 second scene of the guy trying to hit him with the airplane. If you want to see the best drama ever created, watch Braveheart.
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