Review of English Patient; Screenplay and Film

I've seen this film several times. In fact I've reviewed it previously on this blog. I'm going to study for a degree with a focus on screenwriting and now that school is over I though I would read some screenplays and watch the film. The script for English Patient was on my coffee table and I was reading a film history book which talks about it in a few chapters, so I picked it up and decided to read it. It's one of my favorite films with many of my favorite British actors; Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth, Willen Dafoe, as well as produced by Saul Zaentz who is a legend in the Film World for his extremely high quality productions. Sadly, I found out he passed away recently. A terrible loss.

The script was written by Anthony Minghella, he directed as well. He has an interesting background which I will not go into here. The script is, perhaps I'm biased, but I think it's flawless. The way it's written to go back and forth from the past to the present creates an anxious feeling to know where the story will go next, to the past, which part, to where, the desert? A market? Italy? I liked that non-linear quality very much. Also the descriptions of the desert and the planes flying overhead, fantastic. It totally reminded me of Lawrence of Arabia, which this film should be compared to, in some ways. And off course the dialogue. Several of the exchanges between Fienes and Scott are truly memorable. A few days later I started to remember where they are talking about why Almasy went to the desert. The lines and scene played through my head and upon further reflection it was very well done. There many other good dialogue scenes, not only in the desert between Almasy and Mrs. Clinton, but at the villa in Italy with Willem Dafoe, Fiennes and Binoche. The tension between the actors, the war going on outside, and whatever else comes to the fore creates dramatic tension that is resolved with the death of Mrs. Clifton, the end of the war, and the death of Almasy.

The multiple resolutions creates a relief, the war is over, and it creates a devastating heartbreak. Almasy is too late to save Mrs. Clifton. The plane sequences bring in another dimension to the film. It is not just cars on the ground. There are aerial views and in the last scene Mr. Clifton crashes the plane, narrowly missing Almasy. It is a great idea to have the planes. At the beginning of the film they allow aerial views of the desert, they created eerie shadows on the sand, and allow for a very violent, dramatic crash sequence

The film, perhaps because Minghella directing and wrote, stays faithful to the script. It doesn't leave anything out of the film. From what I remember, each scene is included in the film. Several of the screenplays I've read aren't so faithful to the script. Most likely they leave some scenes out.

The script is based on a great book, which was adapted into a great screenplay, which was made into a great film. It's not just the script and the directing though, this film was incredibly well done in all aspects; photography, editing, writing, acting, etc. It won 9 Oscars and jumped started or revived several careers.