--- title: "The English Patient" year: 1996 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-english-patient" fi1m_id: "the-english-patient" imdb_id: "tt0116209" tmdb_id: 409 wikidata_id: "Q63026" fi1m_score: 78 critics_score: 77 critics_reviews: 6 published: "2026-09-13" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:18.779235+00:00" region: "ES" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The English Patient (1996) Directed by Anthony Minghella · 2h 42m · ICAA 12 · Drama, Romance, War ## Identity The English Patient - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-english-patient - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-english-patient - **IMDb ID:** tt0116209 - **TMDB ID:** 409 - **Wikidata ID:** Q63026 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116209/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/409, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q63026 **Fi1m score: 78** · Critics 77 from 6 reviews *In a sentence:* Ralph Fiennes makes falling in love look like something he would rather not discuss > Anthony Minghella’s wartime romance is moving, carefully made and sometimes too slow. Kristin Scott Thomas gives it the urgency it needs, though the desert occasionally holds our attention more firmly than the lovers. ## Synopsis Love and war connect a group of people across two time periods in Anthony Minghella’s adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s novel. Almásy (Ralph Fiennes) and Katharine Clifton (Kristin Scott Thomas) are at the centre of a romance whose story unfolds alongside those of Hana (Juliette Binoche), David Caravaggio (Willem Dafoe) and Kip (Naveen Andrews). Moving between the two periods, the film follows different responses to intimacy and wartime disruption, with the desert as a setting for the central affair. Colin Firth also appears as Geoffrey Clifton. ## Review *The English Patient* is a good romantic drama that occasionally makes enjoying it feel like a test of patience. Anthony Minghella adapts Michael Ondaatje’s novel with room for desire, war and several lives beyond the central couple, and he expects us to give each of them time. We think that is a reasonable request, and much of the film repays it. At 162 minutes, though, this is a romance for an evening when we are prepared to wait. The movement between two time periods is handled with considerable skill by editor Walter Murch. The changes keep the separate stretches of the story connected without making the film feel as though it is stopping to explain itself. We can follow it and still have room to think about the people. That clarity matters when the central romance has to share our attention with other characters and their responses to war. John Seale’s desert photography gives the film its most immediate pleasure, allowing the landscape to hold our attention without demanding a dramatic incident. Those views make the leisurely pace easier to accept for long stretches. Stuart Craig’s production design is also persuasive: the settings are handsome enough to justify the attention the camera gives them. The care taken over the surroundings helps explain why the film remains watchable through passages where the story slackens, although there are occasions when we would welcome less opportunity to admire the scenery. Kristin Scott Thomas does the most to bring us back to the people. As Katharine Clifton, she gives the affair an urgency that the film’s measured progress does not always provide. Ralph Fiennes keeps Almásy difficult to read, a defensible choice that can also leave us waiting for a reason to care. We were moved by how much Scott Thomas seems to want from someone who gives so little away. The romance works when her performance makes that reserve frustrating for us too. Juliette Binoche’s Hana offers welcome relief from the central couple’s gravity. There is a directness to her performance that helps whenever the film’s careful manners threaten to become stifling. Willem Dafoe, as David Caravaggio, seems less comfortable within the ensemble, although his awkward fit does interrupt its prevailing restraint. Minghella has assembled actors worth spending time with, and Binoche in particular keeps us interested in someone beyond the lovers. Gabriel Yared’s score gives the romance an emotional directness that suits Minghella’s ambitions. It encourages us to accept the strength of the lovers’ feelings, though it cannot make every turn of Minghella’s screenplay convincing. Some of the plotting asks for more indulgence than the restrained performances prepare us to give. The long running time leaves those contrivances exposed, and this is where the patience begins to run out. There is room in a romance for people who do not readily explain themselves, and we would not ask Minghella to make them simpler. We would ask him to hurry them along occasionally. Give it an uninterrupted evening, and let Scott Thomas do the persuading. *Fi1m score 78, published 13 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to The English Patient, praising Minghella’s handling of a wartime romance told across two periods. The praise clusters around the desert photography, the editing that connects past and present, and an adaptation that gives the novel a workable cinematic shape. Performances also draw considerable approval, with Kristin Scott Thomas singled out for particular praise. The more enthusiastic reviews find the central love affair deeply affecting and regard the film’s scale as matched by its attention to private feeling. The main disagreement concerns emotional involvement rather than technical accomplishment. Empire finds the characters difficult to care about, while Variety admires the photography and editing but considers the film long, cerebral and emotionally restrained. Other reservations concern pacing, melodrama and unlikely plotting. The spread therefore runs from strong enthusiasm to qualified admiration, with the dissenting reviews questioning whether the polished filmmaking makes the romance sufficiently involving. ## Straight answers **Is The English Patient worth watching?** *The English Patient* is worth watching for anyone with an uninterrupted evening and patience for a slow, carefully made wartime romance, and we scored it 78. Kristin Scott Thomas gives the affair its urgency, and John Seale's desert photography carries the long stretches, but at 162 minutes the plotting sags and Ralph Fiennes's reserve can leave you waiting for a reason to care. **How long is The English Patient, and what is it rated?** *The English Patient* runs 2h 42m and is rated 12 by the ICAA in Spain. It is a drama and romance film. **Where can I watch The English Patient in Spain?** *The English Patient* is streaming on Netflix in Spain, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The English Patient, and is it suitable for children?** *The English Patient* carries a UK 15 certificate and a US R rating, and it is a drama set in wartime rather than a frightening film. The certificate implies adult material, including scenes of intimacy, that make it unsuitable for children. Teenagers who can sit through a slow, mannered romance will find little to disturb them. **How does The English Patient compare to Brief Encounter?** *The English Patient* is the longer and more leisurely of the two, and [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) is the better film, one we would urge a stranger to see. David Lean's romance is short and sharp, with desire that good manners cannot contain. Minghella's is grander, with desert landscapes and several lives beyond the lovers, and it rewards patience rather than demanding urgency. **Is The English Patient based on a true story or a book?** *The English Patient* is based on Michael Ondaatje's novel of the same name, not on a true story. Anthony Minghella's adaptation moves between two time periods and gives room to several lives beyond the central couple, and the film can be followed without having read the book. We do not know how closely it keeps to Ondaatje's text. **What should I watch after The English Patient?** After *The English Patient*, try [*Brief Encounter*](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter) (1945, Fi1m 90): For a shorter, sharper encounter with desire that good manners cannot contain. Then [*Hiroshima mon amour*](https://film.one/film/hiroshima-mon-amour) (1959, Fi1m 87): Another romance where wartime memory interrupts the business of getting close; and [*The Remains of the Day*](https://film.one/film/the-remains-of-the-day) (1993, Fi1m 88): For reserved people who take far too long to say what matters. ### Reviews we read (10) - **Total Film** (90/100, inferred): This is an unutterably great movie and grown-up cinema that is smart, witty, sweeping and sad. Minghella juggles characters, continents and time zones with ease, delivering an incredibly ambitious, beautifully photographed wartime love-story epic. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-english-patient-review/) - **Time Out**, GA (85/100, inferred): Minghella's adaptation remains a rich, complex and entrancing piece of work that studies responses to love and war across two time frames. The performances are flawless and the direction shows fluency, poetry and scale, with superb sensuous desert photography. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-english-patient) - **The Independent** (75/100, inferred): The film succeeds in turning the novel into a workable cinematic narrative with inventive visuals and editing that link its dual time periods. Minghella's direction creates a relentlessly beautiful but poignant experience, though some contrivances in the story are hard to swallow. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/a-deceptive-beauty-1272544.html) - **Empire**, Christopher Hemblade (55/100, inferred): The film offers understatement but ultimately under-performs due to a lack of emotional involvement with its characters. It deserves quiet, reasoned admiration rather than limitless adoration despite its awards success. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/english-patient-review/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan: The critic describes the film as a mesmerizing romantic epic that explores love in extremes of wartime with poetic assurance and grand, operatic scope. He singles out the nonlinear dream-time storytelling, luminous performances (especially Kristin Scott Thomas), and Minghella’s command of mood and atmosphere for praise. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-15-ca-1931-story.html) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane: The review celebrates the film’s revival of romantic obsession and its clear, hard-edged epic qualities, calling it awfully close to a masterpiece after two viewings. It singles out the palpitating central love affair and the Wagnerian emotional chords of the finale for praise. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1996/11/25/1996-11-25-118-tny-cards-000149520) - **The New York Times**, Janet Maslin: The critic hails the film as a stunning literary adaptation and cinematic triumph that reinvents the source material with shape and explicitness while delivering epic personal cinema. She singles out the heady romance, seductive desert vistas, and Kristin Scott Thomas’s sensual, career-altering performance as Katharine for particular praise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/15/movies/adrift-in-fiery-layers-of-memory.html) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy: The review finds the film a respectable, intelligent but emotionally restrained adaptation that is long and cerebral, with a conventional melodrama core. It singles out the resplendently textured surfaces, John Seale’s lensing, and Walter Murch’s editing for praise while noting the difficulty in connecting with the recessive central character. [Read](https://variety.com/1996/film/reviews/the-english-patient-1200447716/) - **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (80/100, inferred): The critic praises Minghella's adaptation as supremely cinematic with exquisite cinematography, highlighting the quality of sadness and cinematic integrity as making it unforgettable. They single out the performances, particularly noting Willem Dafoe feels miscast. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-english-patient-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) - **HeyUGuys**, Glen Chapman (4/5): The critic finds revisiting the film a joy, praising the cast, direction, and especially the cinematography, while noting minor issues with pacing and melodrama. They single out the cinematography as the film's greatest strength. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-english-patient-blu-ray-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Anthony Minghella - **Director:** Anthony Minghella - **Screenplay:** Anthony Minghella - **Novel:** Michael Ondaatje - **Cinematography:** John Seale - **Editor:** Walter Murch - **Music:** Gabriel Yared - **Production design:** Stuart Craig - **Costume design:** Ann Roth - **Producer:** Saul Zaentz - **Cast:** Ralph Fiennes as Almásy; Juliette Binoche as Hana; Willem Dafoe as David Caravaggio; Kristin Scott Thomas as Katharine Clifton; Naveen Andrews as Sikh Kip; Colin Firth as Geoffrey Clifton; Julian Wadham as Madox; Torri Higginson as Mary - **Runtime:** 2h 42m - **Certificate (ICAA):** 12 - **Release (Spain):** 28 February 1997 - **Genres:** Drama, Romance, War - **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1996); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Winner, 1996); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Winner, 1996) - **Budget:** $27 million - **Box office:** $232 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk_LRcOFT0c ## Where to watch in Spain - Netflix: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: rent €3.99, hd - Apple TV: rent €3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy €4.99, hd - Apple TV: buy €4.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-13.* Also available in: AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, TR, UA, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 1997: Best Actor (nominated); Best Actress (nominated); Best Cinematography (won); Best Costume Design (won); Best Director (won); Best Film Editing (won); Best Original Dramatic Score (won); Best Picture (won); Best Production Design (won); Best Sound (won); Best Supporting Actress (won) - BAFTA Film Awards 1997: Best Film (won) - European Film Award for Best Actress 1997: European Film Award for Best Actress (won) - European Film Award for Best Cinematographer 1997: European Film Award for Best Cinematographer (won) - European Film Award for Best Film 1997: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated) - Golden Globes 1996: Best Motion Picture – Drama (won); Best Original Score (won) ## If you liked this - *Brief Encounter* (1945), Fi1m 90: For a shorter, sharper encounter with desire that good manners cannot contain — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brief-encounter.md) - *Hiroshima mon amour* (1959), Fi1m 87: Another romance where wartime memory interrupts the business of getting close — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hiroshima-mon-amour.md) - *The Remains of the Day* (1993), Fi1m 88: For reserved people who take far too long to say what matters — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-remains-of-the-day.md) - *In the Mood for Love* (2000), Fi1m 91: For the patience, the careful surroundings and everything the lovers cannot say — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/in-the-mood-for-love.md) - *Cold War* (2018), Fi1m 85: A more compressed romance, with history making private happiness difficult — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/cold-war.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-english-patient