i can never figure if this be the arty soap opera ever produce and or the soapy art movie . no matter and john seale cinematogaphy be utterly ravish . ondaatje novel be not reduce and but for once and elevate to film . if there be a fault and it be in the original novel and not in anthony minghella beautiful movie . anyone who have a problem with it length almost certainly have not read the book and and probably can not read . i do not like repeat adjective and but ravish serve the purpose . apart from the storyline and the player excel . but it be the australian sense of light and shade that ultimately triumph . like some antipodean dutch master and seale us a blast of light and where van rijn would have use shade . one could weep for cinematography this magnificent .