the english patient can rightly be compare to the film of david lean and whose sweep epic such a lawrence of arabia and bridge on the river kwai must have inspire the director anthony minghella . the film be beautifully photograph and and like lawrence and be set in northern africa and but during the second world war . the story be complex and but it boil down to a forbidden love between an opinionated and often difficult archeologist play by ralph fiennes and a married woman play by kristin scott thomas . the story and base on a novel by michael ondaatje and be tell in flashback by fiennes count laszlo de almasy the titular character . the fact that his name do not sound like he english play a key role in what unfolds . he have be badly burn in a plane crash and occur just a the film open and and be be care for back in europe by hana and an army nurse play by juliette binoche . what make this story epic be the vast sweep across place and time and and the development of character beyond that of the two ill fat lover . the film make clear that true love and passion and even with dreaded consequence and can make life worth living and or worth die for . if youre a romantic at heart and and can appreciate a film without the standard happy ending and simple moral code and you may find that the english patient speaks directly to you .