The English Patient (1996)

The English Patient (1996) is an epic romantic drama directed by Anthony Minghella, based on Michael Ondaatje’s Booker Prize-winning novel. This critically acclaimed film won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and is celebrated for its sweeping narrative, stunning cinematography, and deeply emotional performances.
Set during World War II, the film unfolds through the fragmented memories of a mysterious, severely burned patient known as “The English Patient” (Ralph Fiennes), cared for by a compassionate nurse, Hana (Juliette Binoche), in an abandoned Italian monastery. Through flashbacks, his true identity as Hungarian explorer Count László de Almásy is revealed, along with his passionate and forbidden love affair with Katharine Clifton (Kristin Scott Thomas), the wife of a fellow explorer.
As Almásy’s tragic story is pieced together, other characters, including Kip (Naveen Andrews), a Sikh bomb disposal expert, and Caravaggio (Willem Dafoe), a Canadian intelligence officer seeking revenge, find their own lives intertwined with his. The film deftly explores themes of love, betrayal, and the devastating toll of war.