Film Director Anthony Minghella Dies LONDON (AP) -- Anthony Minghella, who won an Oscar for ``The English Patient'' and directed such hit movies as ``The Talented Mr. Ripley,'' ``Cold Mountain'' and ``Truly Madly Deeply,'' has died. He was 54.
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Minghella's death was confirmed Tuesday by his agent, Judy Daish. No other details were not immediately available.
``The English Patient,'' the 1996 World War II movie that won nine Academy Awards, was one of a series of literary adaptations directed by Minghella. Others included ``The Talented Mr. Ripley''
(1999) and ``Cold Mountain'' (2003).
Minghella was recently in Botswana filming an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith's novel ``The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.''
In addition to his best-director Oscar for ``The English Patient,'' Minghella was nominated for best screenplay for that film, and for his screenplay for ``The Talented Mr. Ripley.''
Among his other acclaimed films were ``Truly, Madly, Deeply'' (1990), and last year's Oscar-nominated ``Michael Clayton,'' on which he was executive producer.
``The English Patient,'' based on the acclaimed novel by Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje, tells of a burn victim's tortured recollections of his misdeeds in time of war.
It won nine Oscars in all, including best picture, best supporting actress for Juliette Binoche, and a raft of technical Oscars including best film editing, best costume design and cinematography.
Minghella also turned his talents to the opera stage. In 2006, he directed an acclaimed staging of Puccini's ``Madama Butterfly'' at New York's Metropolitan opera.
