Saffron Risotto

Anthony Minghella died on March 18.  He was someone I admired.  He was a noted filmmaker, helming such movies as The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain and more significantly for me, the adaptation of The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje's lyrical, complex and aching novel about love, adultery and tragedy in the Sahara. 

         

-----------------------------------

Screenplay by Anthony Minghella, adapted from the novel by Michael Ondaatje 

EXT.    THE CAVE OF SWIMMERS.    DAY.

               He has WRAPPED KATHARINE IN THE SILK FOLDS OF HER PARACHUTE
               and emerges from the near the familiar cleft in the rock,
               struggling with the exertion of the climb as they approach
               the Cave of Swimmers.  He has a large water bottle slung
               around his neck and a haversack, and is loaded like a pack
               horse.  Katharine opens her eyes.

                                   KATHARINE
                             (whispering)
                         Why did you hate me?

                                   ALMÁSY
                         What?

                                   KATHARINE
                         Don't you know you drove everybody
                         mad?

                                   ALMÁSY
                         Don't talk.

                                   KATHARINE
                             (gasping)
                         You speak so many bloody languages
                         and you never want to talk.

               They stagger on.  He suddenly notices a stain of gold at her
               neck.  It's saffron, leaking from a silver THIMBLE which
               hangs from a black ribbon.

                                   ALMÁSY
                             (overwhelmed)
                         You're wearing the thimble.

                                   KATHARINE
                         Of course.  You idiot.  I always
                         wear it. I've always worn it.  I've
                         always loved you.

               Almásy CRIES as he walks - huge sobs, no words - convulsed
               with the pain of it.  They approach the Cave.

-----------------------------------

I saw the movie with my friend Elizabeth.  It overwhelmed me in a way the book had not.  I love that book; it touched so many chords in me; but the visual adaptation tore me to pieces, from the opening scene of Madox's plane casting its shadow across the desert floor like an aerial swimmer to the final sequence of Almasy carrying the dead Katherine out from the Cave of the Swimmers.

I was so haunted by Minghella's intense direction and saturated scenery that eight years elapsed before I was able to watch the movie in its entirety again.

When an artist's vision can hold a person in thrall for that long...well, then you can understand why I note the passing of someone I've never or was ever likely to meet.

There's always saffron on hand in the house...some of it stored in a thimble.  Why, I just can't say.

Saffron Risotto

Suzanne Goin's recipe for Saffron Risotto is transcendant.  Email me at ablithepalate (AT) gmail (DOT) com if you would like the recipe.

Comments

[beastmomma]

I loved the book and the movie. I saw the film in an old playhouse in Baltimore. It felt like I was on a magical journey and I cried a lot. One thing I also appreciated were the little moments of humor in the film that did not come out as much in the book.

[Donald]

I love saffron risotto. Any risotto for that matter. I use saffron so much that I actually bought a decorative tin with an ounce of the petals.

I won't tell you how much that cost, but let's just say, I coulda financed it. :-)

[Anna]

Thank you for this wonderful post.

I agree completely; I loved the book and the movie, but the movie affected me much more intensely. It is visually and emotionally so stunning and raw.

And, I also enjoy saffron rice. My favourite comes from Alford & Duguid's wonderful book "Seductions of Rice" called golden rice (with optional shrimp). Not a risotto, so less stirring, and no parmesean so the flavour of the saffron is more distinct I think.