Review of The English Patient (1996) by Prach P — 24 Oct 2012
The English Patient is a story of love in a time of trouble.
Despite the fact that the film is almost three hours' long and focuses mainly on 4-5 characters, I did not feel like I understood any of the characters in any great depth. Take Almasy, who the film spends most time on. I learned that he was a Central European count learned in the humanities and deeply in love with Katherine. But the film never told me what drove his passions -- his passion in history and literature, his passion in being in the desert, and his passion for Katherine. Even less did I learn about what happened inside Katherine's mind.
I think the film is too busy telling us what happened to the characters, and did not care enough to show us the characters' thoughts and reflections -- their reflections on events, people and relationships; the wider reflections on life, society and the world. This negligence is especially bad when the film portrays the main characters as intelligent, reflective people, and not simple-minded, impulsive people. I'm sure the characters must be much more full-blooded in the novel than in the film.
This review of The English Patient (1996) was written by Prach P on 24 Oct 2012.
The English Patient has generally received very positive reviews.
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