Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by John Coombs (A) on February 02, 2002 at 18:14:05

In Reply to: Re: So what did you think of KST in "The English Patient"? posted by Victor Khomenko on February 01, 2002 at 18:44:53:

Victor --

I'd read the book first -- about three or so years before
the movie came out. I was totally jazzed anticipating
the film -- my girlfriend at the time kept calling it "THE
movie" as we waited for its release.

The book, after its first 30 pages, is stunningly lyrical.
Much of its magic is the mystery of who "the English
Patient" lying in that bed in the Italian Monastery is.
In the book you get small fragments of his memories to
piece together, pieces of greek and roman history about
egypt and libya, all of which gradually come together.

The second half of the book -- about the nurse and the
sikh soldier, eventually has its own lyricism. It was one
of my favorite books -- the movie kind of took away from
that in my opinion.

I've heard people say they hated the book too -- maybe there
is no middle ground.

On reflection, maybe Ingrid Bergman would have made a
better Katherine.

John