The Hospital
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Movie Reviews of The Hospital
Movie Review: The Hospital as microcosm of world's problems circa 1971
Summary: 4 Stars
Paddy Chayefsky, the screenwriter of "The Hospital," introduces many of the themes here that he will perfect and revisit in 1976's essential film "Network" and his spiritual/psychedelic experiment "Altered States" (1980). "The Hospital," more or less, is about spiritual malaise -- when work can no longer replace sex as a primal drive (to loosely paraphrase one of Freud's maxims) ; when technology and scientific knowledge work to conspire against those it is supposed to help ; when generation gaps form as a result of all these changes. George C. Scott plays Bock, a middle-aged, "male menopausal" suicidal doctor who is trying to figure out where his lust for life is as well as who is killing off his doctors in a Manhattan hospital one by one. Like another classic George C. Scott film, Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove," this is unusually dark terrain even for dark comedy. The cure for Bock's lack of passion comes in the person of Diana Rigg, a mid-twenties spiritual eclectic and acid-head. Ironically, she is presented as a complete space-case, but is the only object that can bring Bock to his central realization -- that he is "middle class" and that for him, love does not conquer all, but, rather, responsibility. Chayefsky shows himself off here to be a master technician, deploying language that would later sound at home in the TV show "ER," as he weaves a skewed realism with his particular brand of post-Marxist social commentary. An odd film, for sure, but definitely worth checking out.Movie Review: The Hospital plus 33 years
Summary: 4 Stars
Its amazing to look back and view this film again to see how " we made out"!Well we didnt! "The Hospital" underscores the malaise that was beginning in the early 70,s in hospitals. That malaise has now spread into a full blown epidemic. Today, 2004, the hospital,mostly any hospital is one of the most dangerous places to reside in.
They are unhealthy,replete with staff shortages, racked with mal practice suits, hammered by HMO's subverted by medicare rules and regulations and emeregency rooms that are packed with aliens getting their initial health care!
This film shows how organized mayhem effects health care and converts that to disorginized health care. George C. Scott is totally defeated physician who is rejuvenated by the allure of Diana Rigg( who wouldnt be) Its too late for Scott and many of the patients that fall to DR. Wellbeck's unsteady hands or Bernard Hughes' philosophy.
In the end Scott stays on in his quagmire sort of like a Capt who chooses to go down with his ship.
Unrelenting and terrific film hits all the marks so get ready!
CP
Movie Review: Shattering commentary on modern medicine
Summary: 4 Stars
George C. Scott plays Dr Herbert Bock chief of surgery at a big city hospital whose life is falling apart and whose commitment to the job is the only thing that keeps him going - but even this flame is flickering. Along comes hippie Diana Rigg to literally save his life and restore his passion for the fight.
This scenario gives master screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky ample opportunity to make shattering comments on modern medicine that are as pertinent now as they were then - if not more so.
Bock is a man of utmost decency whose been ground down by the insanity of the world around him and Scott communicates this brilliantly.
Diana Rigg's character is a male fantasy but she turns the character and a their relationship into something plausible.
The film loses steam somewhat after Scott literally and metaphorically has his manhood restored by Rigg but is still a fine achievement.
Movie Review: A horror movie. or blackcomedy/satire if you will.
Summary: 4 Stars
A product of its time, the 60's becoming the 70's. George Scott is the massively depressed Dr Brock. A serial killer is running amuck in the hospital but the hospital is doing a pretty good job of killing patients on it's own. Late one night, Dr. Brock, about to off himself, encounters Diana Rigg, a hippie, whose father is a patient being slowly killed by misdiagnoses. After some lengthy dialouge, Dr. Brock rapes her, thereby taking care of one of his problems: impotence. After more endless blather they determine they are now in love. There is a lot more going on here but I just waited to do a short review. George Scott was in the best phase of his career, winning the A.A. for Patton while this was at the theaters & then being nominated again for this one. For that resaon it's worth a look. A powerful performance.Movie Review: The Hospital
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased the DVD (The Hospital) with George C. Scott because I enjoyed that film, years ago. It reminded me of the city hospital I attended nursing school in and worked in the 50s & 60s. The disk was absolutly blank and an utter disappointment, call it the blank hospital. I feel cheated. I rate the film itself 4 star, The script about this hospital was almost unbelievable but from my prospective it was so true. I thought perhaps someone that worked with me wrote it. Enjoy it if you get a working DVD.