1996 | 160 min | Epic War Romance | English

CAST Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kirstin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth

It's WWII during the liberation of Italy, inside the ancient Monastery - Villa San Girolamo Tuscany, and nurse Hana (Juliette Binoche) cares for a severely burned man. She has lost her own true love in the horror of war and forms a deep connection with him. He was rescued, barely alive from a burning plane, shot down in the North African desert. He is entirely bandaged, covered in burns and speaks perfect English, but has no recollection of who he is. In Hana’s care, they begin to piece together his memories and we are transported into an extraordinary sweeping story of love, betrayal and passion. He is the Hungarian Count Almasy and was fatally in love with a married woman (Kirsten Scott Thomas). In the unravelling of the story, we discover that Hana and the mysterious man are in danger of revenge by an intelligence agent named Caravaggio (Willam Dafoe). The fates of all characters become entwined in an epic, dangerous, and breathtakingly romantic story. One of the greatest films in my lifetime.

The English Patient is a stunning feat of literary adaptation as well as a purely cinematic triumph.

Janet Maslin. New York Times

WINNER

9x Academy Awards | Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Costume, Best Film Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing