English Patient (English Patient, The)

Country of origin and year: USA, UK, 1996 Genre: melodrama, war film Screenplay: Anthony Minghella Director: Anthony Minghella Music: Gabriel Yared Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Defoe, Kristin Scott Thomas, Naveen Andrews, Colin Firth Medical themes: burns, amnesia, care for terminally ill patients, euthanasia Description: Bedouins find a pilot in the desert who suffered severe burns when his plane caught fire after being shot down by the Germans during World War II. The fire completely disfigured his face and the rest of his body, and the trauma caused him such severe retrograde amnesia that he not only cannot remember events from the past, but even who he is. Soon, the patient is placed under British care; during the journey with the Allied forces, his condition deteriorates to such an extent that one of the nurses decides to leave the army and temporarily take up residence in a Tuscan monastery ruined during the war, in order to properly care for the burned patient in the final days of his life. Gradually, the "English Patient" recalls his own past and uncovers the web of tragic events that led him to this state. The film is based on the acclaimed novel by Michael Ondaatje, though its plot is not entirely faithful to the original. Above all, the love story has been greatly expanded in the film, unfolding gradually as the protagonist’s amnesia subsides. The novel also lacked another medical issue present in the film, namely euthanasia. Given its scope, the moving story created by Ondaatje, the excellent cast, and the beautiful soundtrack composed by Gabriel Yared, this film can certainly be called a masterpiece that everyone should see.