Drama in the Desert

Its been three years since I first watched the English Patient. I was in my final semester at school and had armed myself with loads of free hours to explore the award winning flicks. Then there was a second viewing..then a third...last week was probably my seventh..I show it to friends and try to sense if the movie strikes a chord with them. I am a compulsive channel changer while watching TV - always chasing what I may be missing rather than stop and indulge in the present. Yet it is almost an obsession for this movie that stops, when I read the title, my fingers from seeking the next-best-thing to watch. Till the last of the credits trickle in , for as long as it takes, I sit there watching, mesmerised and drawn into Almachy and Katherine's world - A world of deserts, storms, betrayal, war and strong poetic love..Its cinematography is complemented by soul stirring music - a blend of classical and folk , thought provoking dialogues match the calibre of its outstanding cast -thats perfect cinema for you. The plot, though appears complex, is deflty handled and seamlessly moves between flashback episodes and the end of WW2. Ralph Fiennes is the English Patient, severly burned and miraculously revived, waiting for the air to leave his lungs while memories linger. Juliette Binoche is the unlucky nurse ( that decides to stay in a ruined Italian villa taking care of Almasy (Ralph). Kip (a fine, subtle portrayal by Naveen Andrews) is an Indian sapper with the British army who falls in love with Juliette. Willem Dafoe plays a Canadian spy seeking revenge against Almasy. Almasy's love affair with Katherine, a married woman, is the central theme of the movie with the WW2 serving as a fitting backdrop. The movie talks about the insignificance of boundaries on maps and that the only boundaries that really matter are emotional and are embedded deep within. An interesting line from the movie: A supremely possesive Almasy accuses Katherine of betrayal after their break-up- "I've watched you - on verandahs, at Garden Parties, at the Races – how can you stand there? How can you ever smile? As if your life hadn't capsized?". To which Kathrine retorts "Do you think you're the only one who feels anything? Is that what you think?". English Patient- A treat for drama lovers.