Trivia
Ralph Fiennes' burnt head make-up had not only to be medically accurate but had also to subtly reflect map-making and cartography, one of the film's major themes.
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Spoilers (1)
Kristin Scott Thomas was cast after writing a letter to director Anthony Minghella which included the statement "I am 'K' in your film".
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Originally, 20th Century Fox was to finance the film, but disputes arose between the studio and the producers over casting. In particular, Fox preferred a more well-known actress to play Katharine Clifton instead of Kristin Scott Thomas; Demi Moore was lobbying particularly hard for the role. After the producers refused to give in on a series of casting choices, Fox backed out of the film, and the project was uncertain just as production was about to begin. However, within a few weeks - during which the cast and crew stayed on in Italy without knowing if the film would be made - the film was picked up by Miramax.
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At a charity auction in New York in 2001, a shirt worn by Ralph Fiennes in the film fetched over $1900.
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In 2005, Juliette Binoche had her Oscar touched up by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her three-year-old son was fond of playing with it and it had subsequently become tarnished and peeling. One of the perks of being an Oscar-winner is that you can have your Oscar repaired for free by the Academy.
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Saul Zaentz had been a particular fan of Anthony Minghella's first film Truly Madly Deeply and had made it clear that he would like to work with the director. He was therefore delighted when Minghella brought him the book by Michael Ondaatje.
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Almost every reverse angle shot following a desert vista was done on a soundstage due to budgetary constraints.
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The Germans who shoot at Almásy's plane at the beginning were actually tourists roped into the production because they couldn't afford any more extras.
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Early into the production, Anthony Minghella fell over and broke his ankle. Therefore for much of the shoot he was either in plaster or crutches.
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Sean Connery was actively considering playing the part of Caravaggio before he backed out of the production.
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Ralph Fiennes' burn make-up took 5 hours to apply every day. Fiennes insisted that the full body make-up be applied even for the scenes where only his head would be filmed.
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Both Naveen Andrews and Kevin Whately had to learn to ride motorcycles for the film. There was some concern that Andrews would not pass his test before filming began but he completed his course successfully.
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Ralph Fiennes was the voice of Jesus in The Miracle Maker, an animated TV movie. Therefore, this film has three Christ actors.
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When Twentieth Century Fox was involved in the film, they tried to talk the producers out of casting Willem Dafoe and suggested three choices for the role of Caravaggio: John Goodman, Danny DeVito, or Richard Dreyfuss.
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In the scene where Hana is being pulled up to see the paintings in the church, the electric power and smoke for her "torch" was being piped through the seemingly real rope on which she was sitting.
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Anthony Minghella read the novel in one sitting after completing a previous shoot in New York; when he finished, he was completely disoriented and at first couldn't remember where he was, but he phoned Saul Zaentz the next morning to try and interest him in the project. Saul Zaentz not only read the book but discovered that author Michael Ondaatje was giving a reading near Saul Zaentz's home that weekend.
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Saul Zaentz provided $6,000,000 of the budget himself in return for a guarantee he would get final cut.
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The motorcycle that Kip rides throughout the film, sometimes with Hana, is a Triumph 350cc 3HW. Triumph was the make of motorcycle actually specified in the original novel upon which the film is based.
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The character name, 'Kip', apparently was Michael Ondaatje's nickname at school. This was a reference to cooking oil stains on his exercise books which reminded the wags among his fellow pupils of kipper fish which were canned in such oil.
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Was the first digitally-edited film to win an Academy Award for Best Film Editing (Walter Murch). Murch began editing the film mechanically, but then switched to the Avid system after his son suffered a medical emergency so that he could work from his home while his son recovered. Murch writes about the experience in his book "In the Blink of an Eye (2nd Ed.)."
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When Kip (Naveen Andrews) is packing his things before he leaves he also packs up the belongings of Hardy (Kevin Whately). Among the belongings is a scarf for Sunderland AFC (a football club based in North East England). In real life the actor Kevin Whately is a committed, life-long supporter of Newcastle United Football Club who share a heated rivalry with Sunderland AFC.
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Kristin Scott Thomas actively lobbied Anthony Minghella for the part of Katherine. Minghella was dubious at first, especially after their first meeting which Scott-Thomas labeled as "disastrous".
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Juliette Binoche knew she wanted to be in the film the minute she read the scene when Kip shows Hana the fresco paintings on the walls of a church.
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Bruce Willis was offered the role of Caravaggio but was talked out of taking the role by his then agent. He later admitted in interviews to regretting this decision.
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Spoilers
Hana is very distressed when Kip is called on to disarm a bomb since she fears she will never see him again. When Kip is with the bomb he reads off its serial number which starts with "K-K-I-P..." The bomb literally has his name on it.
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