Anthony Minghella, director of "Mr. Ripley" and "The English Patient", dies at age 54

Anthony Minghella was one of the few filmmakers that I could count on to create a film that was both marvelously entertaining and intellectually challenging. Truly, Madly, Deeply (with superlative performances by Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman), The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley are among the finest films of the 90s. Cold Mountain may have been flawed, and some even complained about his earlier work, but there's no denying that he give the world something different, films that truly explored deeply moving themes and never took the easy way out. He will be greatly missed.

 

 

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For anyone who is wondering, he died from a hemorrhage. He had surgery last week for a growth in his neck. According to his publicist, his recovery seemed to be going well. But, at 5:00 AM this morning he suffered a fatal hemorrhage.

I understand that this man was a very gifted filmmaker and I applaud most of his work. Very sorry about his untimely death.

But it seems to me that I have a very negative memory when I watched "Mr. Ripley" in a packed movie theatre shortly after the film opened. I believe that the audience was lead into a gay panic and the homosexuality was presented in a very unattractive or desperate manner. The audience was quite repulsed as indicated by their groans.

Now I could be overly sensitive here because like many others I feel that 90% of the gay implication in the motion picture industry is portrayed as repellent, desperate or shallow stereotypes etc. That charater was a murderous social climber who was gay. Perhaps I should be upset with the person who wrote the book.

I hope that I am overreacting. Yet, I seem to remember an interview where he professed to be such and advocate of gay rights then I saw “Mr. Ripley” and could not understand how the creator of this film could be a friend of the gay man as creating another negative gay film charater.

Sorry to be pessimistic. I would appreciate it if anyone could help me fill in the blanks here. Or change my perspective and enlighten me.

My thoughts and prayers do go to his family and friends. From all reports Mr. Minghella was quite the good man. May he rest in peace.

"The English Patient" is one of my favourite movies since 1980.

 

Cheers

JBE

Maybe I was just a bit overly sensitive, but I found Tom's method of making his "decision" deplorable.  It didn't resonate with me in the least.

Yet until then I was pulled-in.  Actually rooting for Tom to get away with his actions and deceptions since most of the people around him in Dickie's world were abysmal souls.  But then he runs into Cate Blanchett's character and makes that one last decision.  Tom would have done better to throw himself overboard that fateful cruise.

Don't trouble yourself Doctor -- I'm a celebrity, I'll write my own prescription.