The English Patient (The Fifth One)

When I first told my parents about doing this blog, my dad asked if I was going to do the English Patient and I said yes. He then gave a snoring sound indicating that it was boring. I was somewhat surprised but my dad didn't like the English Patient. At all! My views on it? It was a long movie, but wow was it good!

It takes place in Africa during WWII with Ralph Fiennes playing an injured man named Count Laszlo de Almasy, who was shot down while flying a plane, with severe burns surrounding most of his body. He cannot move on his own, and he can't breathe well either and will likely die soon. He was rescued by an army who tries to nurse him back to health. After a dangerous run in with a bomb on the road, a nurse named Hana (played by Juliette Binoche) takes him away to a different location because of the danger on the roads with bombs. While being taken care of by the nurse, Almasy goes back between when he is on bed rest with the burns on his body and when he was well. Before his accident, he was a map maker following archiologists. During his work, he fell madly in love with a fellow worker's wife named Katharine (Played by a very beautiful Kristen Scott Thomas). The love affair becomes very strong and passionate. And as the love affair unfolds, the reasons why he is on his deathbed surfaces.

If there is one thing I realized during this movie, it was how surprised I was with his transitions. According to a source, it took 8 hours for the makeup artists to put on the burn makeup for Fiennes. As well as acting with terrible burns and dying is pretty intense acting. He was also nominated for the Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar for his work in The English Patient. Another reason why he did a very good job is that he was incredibly charming while commiting an affair. He was so passionate about this woman, so kind to her and he did everything to help her when she most desperately needed it most. I'm not saying AT ALL that cheating on your husband, or boyfriend is okay, but if there is anyone you should begin an affair with, it's Ralph Fiennes characher, Almasy in The English Patient.

So far we have seen him as the sympathetic jerk, extreme bastard, internally conflicted individual, sleeze ball drug dealer, and passionate and dying man. So far it's a good journey. Can't wait for more but be prepared. With school here now, it will take a while for me to get posts out. Thanks for understanding.

Favorite Quote: "I claim this shoulder blade, no wait, turn over, I want this place. I love this place, what's it called? This is mine. I'm going to ask the king permisison to call it the 'Almasy Bosporus.'"

Ralph Fiennes as Count Laszlo de Almasy in The English Patient (talking about the hollow base of a woman's neck called the suprasternal notch on Katharine)