Overview
In the midst of war, love and memory intertwine in a haunting tale of loss and redemption.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- passionate
- haunting
- quiet evening
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Anthony Minghella's adaptation as a complex, powerful, and moving literary epic whose performances and visual intimacy overcome its excessive length and ambition.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Almásy and Katharine's affair unfolds against the competing demands of marriage, wartime allegiance, and colonial power.
The burned patient's uncertain identity drives Caravaggio's investigation and the gradual recovery of his North African past.
The film moves between expansive Saharan landscapes and close, emotionally charged scenes in the Italian church.
Kip's Sikh identity, Almásy's rejection of national labels, and the wartime setting expose the costs of imperial and national divisions.
Films like The English Patient, and why
Atonement
shared epic wartime romance, forbidden love, and emotionally devastating historical drama
Out of Africa
shared sweeping period romance, colonial setting, and tragic intimacy shaped by war
Cold Mountain
shared nonlinear war narrative, moral ambiguity, and intimate relationships amid military devastation
The Remains of the Day
shared literary adaptation, wartime trauma, and passionate romance rendered through lush historical filmmaking
Movie Details
- Director
- Anthony Minghella
- Release Date
- 1996-11-14
- Runtime
- 162 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (2472)
Cast
- Ralph Fiennes
- Juliette Binoche
- Willem Dafoe
- Kristin Scott Thomas
- Naveen Andrews
- Colin Firth
- Julian Wadham
- Torri Higginson
- Jürgen Prochnow
- Kevin Whately
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The English Patient about?
- A wounded nurse shelters a mysterious burn victim in wartime Italy while forbidden desert memories expose the loves and loyalties that destroyed him.
- What is The English Patient like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The English Patient as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The English Patient violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The English Patient as moderate.
- What did critics think of The English Patient?
- Critics broadly regard Anthony Minghella's adaptation as a complex, powerful, and moving literary epic whose performances and visual intimacy overcome its excessive length and ambition.
- Which films are like The English Patient?
- Films with a similar feel include Atonement, Out of Africa, Cold Mountain, and The Remains of the Day.
- How long is The English Patient?
- The English Patient runs 162 minutes.
- Where can I watch The English Patient?
- In United States, The English Patient streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
