This satire on the theater of the absurd is downright scary--possibly because so much of it accurately depicts the havoc that goes on in any given day at any metropolitan hospital. There are truths revealed in much of the dialogue--and the expert cast makes the most of the wonderful lines Paddy Chayefsky gives them. But the standout performance is delivered by George C. Scott in surely what must be one of his most amazing turns as an actor. His suicide monologue scene with Diana Rigg is played brilliantly--he gets to the heart of his character with such savage passion that it blows you away!
Having said all that, as entertainment the film sometimes seems too absurd for comfort. The revelation that Rigg's father is behind much of the mayhem comes as a surprise--but is made incredible when he recounts how easily he went about manipulating things so that the wrong patients got operated on, etc. It's all a bit too hard to swallow, even for the purposes of black comedy. Diana's concern for her mad father is also not easy to understand given his penchant for murderous behavior.
A film guaranteed to keep you from wanting to go anywhere near a hospital--the one depicted here is a virtual snake pit!! You have to keep reminding yourself--it's only a movie.
Along the way there are some really hilarious moments as a "by the book" nurse asks patients for their Blue Cross numbers as they lie in agony on stretchers or dutifully checks her charts with doctors whose handwriting she can't read. "How am I going to write up the charges?" she whines. Reminds me of the doctor sketch Elaine May and Mike Nichols used to perform on the old Ed Sullivan Show.
Having said all that, as entertainment the film sometimes seems too absurd for comfort. The revelation that Rigg's father is behind much of the mayhem comes as a surprise--but is made incredible when he recounts how easily he went about manipulating things so that the wrong patients got operated on, etc. It's all a bit too hard to swallow, even for the purposes of black comedy. Diana's concern for her mad father is also not easy to understand given his penchant for murderous behavior.
A film guaranteed to keep you from wanting to go anywhere near a hospital--the one depicted here is a virtual snake pit!! You have to keep reminding yourself--it's only a movie.
Along the way there are some really hilarious moments as a "by the book" nurse asks patients for their Blue Cross numbers as they lie in agony on stretchers or dutifully checks her charts with doctors whose handwriting she can't read. "How am I going to write up the charges?" she whines. Reminds me of the doctor sketch Elaine May and Mike Nichols used to perform on the old Ed Sullivan Show.