I beg to disagree with the critics. All things considered, I found this film to be no more than average. Yes, the cinematography is good (allbeit no more than a copy of David Lean's technique and style), the acting is excellent, and the story is good, but...
But, the film is badly structured (here I agree with Berardinelli) and way, way too long... In essence, I would say that the first two thirds of the film are rather bad and essentially boring, whereas the ending is excellent, and manages to partially redeem the rest. This however is not nearly enough to justify all the hype that the film has created and all the Oscars it has received. I am sure there have been better and more deserving films made in 1996.
But, the film is badly structured (here I agree with Berardinelli) and way, way too long... In essence, I would say that the first two thirds of the film are rather bad and essentially boring, whereas the ending is excellent, and manages to partially redeem the rest. This however is not nearly enough to justify all the hype that the film has created and all the Oscars it has received. I am sure there have been better and more deserving films made in 1996.