MovieChat Forums > The English Patient (1996) Discussion > A logical explanation as to why this is ...

A logical explanation as to why this is so despised!

posted 10 years ago by zzzoeb
3 replies | jump to latest

I have nothing against 'The English Patient'- in fact, I am fully fine with it winning the Oscar and I am not really a fan of 'Fargo' either but I am finally able to understand why so much hate is heaped on this winning the Oscar.

It is not really one movie but rather indicative of almost all the movies in the 90s and other decades as well.

To begin with, I will list down two sets of movies. First look at the movies below-
1- Goodfellas
2- Reservoir Dogs
3- Silence Of The Lambs
4- Malcolm X/Unforgiven
5- Jurassic Park
6- Schindler's List
7- Pulp Fiction/The Shawshank Redemption/Ed Wood
8- The Usual Suspects/Casino
9- Fargo/Barton Fink
10- Boogie Nights/LA Confidential
11- Fight Club/Being John Malkovich/Saving Private Ryan
12- The Matrix/American Beauty etc etc

and now look at these movies of the 90s
1- Dances With The Wolves
2- Scent Of A Woman
3- Philadelphia
4- Forrest Gump
5- Braveheart
6- The English Patient
7- Titanic
8- Shakespeare In Love
9- The Green Mile

If you think about it properly, the first list is of movies that have lasted longer in public imagination than the ones in the second one.

In some way or the other, the movies of the first list were iconic and legendary in such a way that their elements- like their quotes, memorabilia, characters and their scenes have become truly memorable and they have been referenced and quoted over and over again.

Look at the second list and you will find films that probably are more remembered because of their Oscar triumphs- I am not dissing films like 'The Green Mile' or 'Braveheart' or even 'The English Patient' but somehow, while they are artistic achievements, they were, according to a large part of the moviewatching public, pretty square and did not quite break the barriers as other films.
I mean what can you say about films like 'Shakespeare In Love' or 'Philadelphia' or even 'Scent Of A Woman'- films which falter in front of the more challenging films alongside them?

Think about this and give me your thoughts. You will realize that why a 'square' film like 'The English Patient' is dismissed in front of the iconic 'Fargo'.

[–] sammy45 9 years ago

I don't quite agree with you, as while Fargo is one of my favorite movies English Patient is still well known and I was born in 1988 and when I first saw it I was a child and still I knew that it will be a classic and it is. Maybe in America it is different, but where I live they often have English Patient on TV while Fargo... not so much. That could be however due to the fact that English Patient is exactly kind of a film that would offend nobody (instead of Fargo, when some might find violence scenes uneasy). And just if I asked my mom or sister about the two movies, they would know what The English Patient is, not so much what Fargo is. The target audiences are just somewhat different.

[–] doughazelrigg 9 years ago

I think your dichotomy is valid, but for a different reason: the second list comprises rather traditional narratives -- one could even call them "throwbacks." These sorts of epic, traditional stories are beloved by the Academy, but the less traditional stories in your first list have more staying power precisely because they're more interesting

[–] SlackerInc (1101) 4 years ago

It’s an interesting post, but I’m surprised you describe the differences in your lists that way. I would say your first list is more masculine, more crime and action and that sort of thing, and the second list is more feminine.