The English Patient
got a lot of backlash due to the Ralph Fiennes Panty-Throwing Brigade, undeservedly so, I thought. I found it complicated and affecting, although I wished they'd delved deeper into Kip's back-story.
The music in that film was great--the juxtaposition of the vocal of the Hungarian folk singer and the ...Bach, I think, near the end was just gorgeous. Minghella always does an amazing job picking out music for his flicks--I dig the music in his films, even when I don't care much for the flick itself. (e.g. Cold Mountain)
Yes, it was Bach -- the Goldberg variations. I checked, and they even did the research to have Juliette Binoche play the period 1945 arrangement (it has since been rearranged by Glenn Gould, and that's the only version you generally hear these days).
Oooh, that is neat. (The faithful period rendition of GV, I mean.) I wonder whether TEP soundtrack has that particular piece?
Another Minghella 'OMG frickin' perfect' music moment is the way he uses the Bach Sonata for Cello & Piano in Truly, Madly, Deeply--first over the credit, then when Jamie's ghost makes his appearance--the way we hear the cello *before* we see Jamie gives me goosebumps.
::melts into heaps with Truly, Madly, Deeply love::
Vonnie, I have a question I always ask TMD lovers (of which I am one): do you think his ghost was really appearing, or was it just her wish fulfillment/imagination/need?
I think he was really there. If he'd been her wish fulfillment, we wouldn't have seen his viewpoint.
Yeap, I agree with Betsy there. It's the last shot of Jamie looking at Nina moving on with the Dove Guy that cinches it, I think. Up until then, it could have been all in Nina's imagination.
I didn't think she had enough sense to dream him up without making his manifestation extremely self-destructive.
But I liked neither her nor the movie.
Watched West Side Story last night - I have not seen it in YEARS. I was gobsmacked that Anita did not die at the end. It is an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet - she is supposed to die. Why did my memory not recall that she lived? Why was I so surprised? I have every song memorized, yet I forgot this. What is up with my brain?
eta:
SLUT!
In the DVD commentary for TMD, Minghella says that he initially planned to leave the question up to the viewer, but that he was aware that including the last shot ruined that idea. He knew that it would give the answer that he was really there, but he loved Jamie's sad goodbye so much that he had to include it anyway.
