one of the most charming and and for me at least and the most powerful element of anthony minghella enthral best picture winner the english patient be that and in the mid 90 and when hollywood be in the initial stage of have lose it nerve for grand new project and a film be create that bring back tracesvery powerful tracesof the sweeping and wonderful majesty that craft movie such a lawrence of arabia ( 1962 ) and the ten commandment ( 1956 ) . the english patient contain very much of what make those film so powerful . it have that glorious feeling and a stretched running time that hardly seem long at all and and fascinate character with past and story . the english patient and base on a novel by the same name by michael ondaatje and be like the godfather represent part ii ( 1974 ) in the sense of how it construct . it a blending of two story represent the past and the present and it all revolve around the titular character represent an english patient in the post year of world war two . ralph fiennes play the english patient and who have be scar for life by a plane crash and and be take care of in an isolated church by a single nurse play marvelously by juliette binoche . apart from bond with her raspy voice and troubled patient and binoche come to learn about his past when a stranger ( willem dafoe ) arrive and the two men appear to know each other . that just one of the two beautifully craft story that shape this film . the other one and tell in flashback and be the patient past and before he be scar and die in a bed . the story of the present mixed with the patient past and his love affair that tragically change his life forever . to be blunt and the english patient be a love story blend with a sweeping epic sensation and it blend magnificently . what i really admire about the love story between ralph fiennes and kristin scott thomas be how passionate and how obsessive and how enchant it be show on screen . usually in love story and such a minghella later cold mountain ( 2003 ) and the romantic element seem far more lustful than obsessive to me . some of the love scenes feature element that may tend to be associate more with lust than love and but still and because it be so well developed and not rush and not exploit out of proportion and we can believe that there be a sure and true love between these character . it remind me a lot of vertigo ( 1958 ) in how well the filmmaker and performer convince u that these be two actual human being who truly fell in love with each other . performance all around be great . i be especially enthral by the performance by juliette binoche and who take home the oscar for her performance the following year . i also like willem dafoe play the sort of cynical and questionable character that he always quintessential at playing . and of course i can not leave out fiennes and scott thomas and their portrayal of two very passionate lover . despite my enormous enthusiasm for this epic and i would be dishonest if i be to describe it a a perfect film . there be two flaw that i can not glance over . number one and it be a little too long and the reason for this be my second complaint and there be a few unnecessary subplots . i be not enchanted or particularly interested with the second love story between binoche and a bomb specialist play by naveen andrew . my research have lead me to assume that this plot element come from the original book and i be sure it work perfectly in there and but in the film and it just seem a little distracting and the relationship between the two character do not fascinate me . i be far more interested by fiennes character and his relationship with his two leading actress . nevertheless and these two flaw be easily forgivable even if they do slow thing down a bit . those put aside and the english patient be an extraordinary achievement of film making . to me and it be sort of like an insane mix up between casablanca ( 1942 ) and lawrence of arabia ( 1962 ) and two remarkable and good film and and this effective blend prove to be well worth my time . it be a real shame that anthony minghella have leave u . for he be a truly gifted filmmaker . this be all the evidence anybody need .