Search - The English Patient on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1996 DVD Release: 06/29/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 2 Number of Discs: 2 Run Time: 2 hrs 42 mins Studio: Miramax Members Wishing: 7 Genres: Drama, Romance, Romantic Adventure, Period Film, War Romance, Romantic Epic See Also: The English Patient, English Patient [Blu-ray]

Anthony Minghella wrote and directed this award-winning adaptation of Michael Ondaatje's novel about a doomed and tragic romance set against the backdrop of World War II. In a field hospital in Italy, Hana (Juliette Binoche), a nurse from Canada, is caring for a pilot who was horribly burned in a plane wreck; he has no identification and cannot remember his name, so he's known simply as "the English Patient," thanks to his accent. When the hospital is forced to evacuate, Hana determines en route that the patient shouldn't be moved far due to his fragile condition, so the two are left in a monastery to be picked up later. In time, Hana begins to piece together the patient's story from the shards of his memories; he's actually Count Laszlo Almasy (Ralph Fiennes), of Hungarian nobility and an explorer working with a group mapping uncharted territory in North Africa. An Englishman, Geoffrey Clifton (Colin Firth), soon joins Almasy's team; travelling with him is his lovely and spirited wife, Katherine (Kristin Scott Thomas). Katherine and Laszlo soon fall in love, which leads Laszlo to betray his friend, his country and all that is dear to him. Meanwhile, Hana and the Patient are joined by Kip (Naveen Andrews), a Sikh with a gift for defusing mines, and Caravaggio (Willem Dafoe), an intelligence agent who knows some of Laszlo's most shameful secrets. The English Patient won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ralph Fiennes - Count Laszlo Almasy
Juliette Binoche - Hana
Willem Dafoe - Caravaggio
Kristin Scott Thomas - Katharine Clifton
Naveen Andrews - Kip

Anthony Minghella's award-winning adaptation of Michael Ondaatje's Booker Prize-winning novel -The English Patient gets the deluxe treatment it most certainly deserves on this release. The film is presented in a widescreen transfer that preserves the movie's original theatrical aspect ratio -- this is the type of visually assured film that would be pointless to experience in a full-frame edition. English soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1, with Spanish and French subtitles accessible. The substantial supplemental materials include a commentary track recorded by Minghella with additional comments from a variety of people involved in the film's production, a featurette on deleted scenes in which Minghella offers his opinions on why some scenes should be cut, and a making-of featurette. There is an interview conducted between Minghella, Ondaatje, and producer Saul Zaentz; a featurette about Ondaatje; an examination of the real-life figure on whom Ralph Fiennes' character is based; and reviews of the film. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide