'' The English Patient '' is a 1996 American romantic war drama film directed by Anthony Minghella from his own script based on the novel of the same name by Michael Ondaatje and produced by Saul Zaentz . The film tells the story of four people who find themselves in an abandoned villa in northern Italy in the last months of World War II . The eponymous protagonist , a man burned beyond recognition who speaks with an English accent , tells his story to the young nurse caring for him in a series of flashbacks , revealing his true identity and the love affair he was involved in before the war . The film was released to critical acclaim , and received 12 nominations at the 69th Academy Awards , winning nine , including Best Picture , Best Director for Minghella , and Best Supporting Actress for Juliette Binoche . It was also the first to receive a Best Editing Oscar for a digitally edited film . Ralph Fiennes , playing the titular character , and Kristin Scott Thomas were Oscar-nominated for their performances . The film also won five BAFTA Awards and two Golden Globes . The British Film Institute ranked '' The English Patient '' the 55th greatest British film of the 20th century
69th Academy Awards
69th Academy Awards
The English Patient (film)