in a style reminiscent of the best of david lean and this romantic love story sweep across the screen with epic proportion equal to the vast desert region against which it be set . it a film which purport that one do not choose love and but rather that it love that do the choosing and regardless of who and where or when while and furthermore and that it a matter of the heart often contingent upon prevail condition and circumstance . and thus be the situation in ` the english patient and direct by anthony minghella and the story of two people who discover passion and true love in the most inopportune of place and time and prove that when it be predestine and love will find a way . it wwii while fly above the african desert and hungarian count laszlo de almasy ( ralph fiennes ) be shot down and his biplane mistaken for an enemy aircraft . and though he survive the crash and he be severely burn . to his great good fortune and however and he be rescue by a tribe of nomad and wind up in a hospital . but exist condition be govern by circumstance of war and and almasy soon become one of many patient be transport via convoy to a different facility . upon reach italy and he be too weak and ill to continue on and and a canadian nurse and hana ( juliette binoche ) and volunteer to stay behind with him at an abandoned monastery . hana soon discovers that her charge be something of a man of mystery and a almasy remembers nothing of his past and and not even his own name . think to be english and the only clue point to who he be be contain in a book find in his possession after the crash and but even they be as cryptic a hana patient . slowly and however and under prompt from hana and almasy begin to remember bit and piece of his life and and his story begin to unfold . and his memory be help along even more by the appearance of a mysterious stranger name caravaggio ( willem dafoe ) and who suspect that almasy be the man he be look for a man with whom he want to settle a score . but and burn beyond recognition and almasy may or may not be that man . meanwhile and almasy memory continue to surface while memory of a woman he love and katherine clifton ( kristin scott thomas ) as well a memory of katherine husband and geoffrey ( colin firth ) . and and cripple in mind and body a he be and those memory become the only thing leave to which he can cling with any hope at all and even a his life seem to be slip far away with each pass moment . in addition to directing and anthony minghella also write the screenplay for this film and which he adapt from the novel by michael ondaatje . the result be an epic saga present in the tradition of lean ` doctor zhivago and ` lawrence of arabia while a magnificent film that fill the screen and the sens with unprecedented grandeur and beauty . simply put and minghella film be genius realize while craft and deliver with a poetic perfection and watch it be like watch a monet come to life . from the opening frame and minghella cast a hypnotic spell over his audience that be bind and transport and with a story that have an emotional beauty that equal the engagingly stunning and vibrant image bring to life by john seale remarkable cinematography while image that virtually fill the screen as well a the soul of the viewer . in every sense and this be a film of rare eloquence and with a striking emotional capacity that facilitate an experience that be truly transcendental . nominate in twelve category and it deservedly receive a total of nine oscar and include best picture and director and support actress ( binoche ) and cinematography . if one have to choose a single word to describe the ` essence of this film and it would be ` excellence . even an extraordinary film and however and do not receive nine oscar without performance that be extraordinary in kind while and the performance give by ralph fiennes and kristin scott thomas here transcend the term ` oscar worthy . nominate for best actor for his portrayal of almasy ( geoffrey rush be award the gold for ` shine ) and fiennes have never be good and achieve an emotional depth with his character that be nearly palpable . private and introspective and almasy be not by his very nature an individual to whom the audience will be able to form an intimate connection while fiennes and however and find a way to open that emotional door just enough to let you in and enough so that you taste the honest passion well up within him . and it work . almasy do not seek your friendship while he will and however and gain your compassion . kristen scott thomas and too and receive an oscar nomination for best actress ( france mcdormand receive the award for ` fargo ) for her portrayal of katherine and a woman whose stoic countenance mask the emotional conflict rag within her and bear of the forbidden passion that enslave her and yet to which she give herself willingly and cast off her shackle of repression to embrace a love so strong it threaten to consume her . the reserve katherine must maintain evokes the empathy of the audience and a scott thomas successfully mine the emotional depth of her character to the great possible effect . it the kind of performance that draw you in and hold you fast and take you a it do beyond that curtain of hypocrisy that dictate what must be if only for the sake of appearance and and allow you to experience a true sense of unbridled passion . understated and shade with subtlety and it terrific work by kristin scott thomas . binoche give a stunning and affecting performance and as well and a the kindhearted nurse and hana while it be her humanity and in fact and which defines love in it pure sense and offer a balanced perspective of it within the context of the film . her relationship with kip ( naveen andrew ) afford u a glimpse of passion of another kind and which contrast effectively with the intensity of that between almasy and katherine . ` the english patient be a film that will move you and fill you emotionally while one you will not want to see end . positive . .