Lee Eisenberg With cinema taking a clear turn for the biting in the '70s, it was inevitable that there would be a movie like "The Hospital". George C. Scott plays the Chief of Medicine in a New York hospital. He's getting hit with a double whammy: his personal life is falling apart, and everyone seems to be dying in the hospital! Whether intended as an indictment of the US health care system or just a straightforward black comedy, Arthur Hiller's movie works in every way. It focuses very much on the characters, often using long conversations to let them develop (the discussion between Scott and Diana Rigg about an hour into the movie is almost like a movie itself!). Screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky later used similar characters in "Network". I recommend both movies.Also appearing are Barnard Hughes, Nancy Marchand (of "The Sopranos"), Lenny Baker, Katherine Helmond, Frances Sternhagen, and a young Stockard Channing.

Rockwell_Cronenberg An okay film that is mostly served as a podium for a phenomenal performance to be delivered to the masses. Paddy Chayefsky's script is loaded with hilarity and some strong monologues for the actors to devour (which they gladly do), but there's a lot going on and director Arthur Hiller doesn't quite know what to do with the tone, but George C. Scott's performance is one for the ages. He plays a suicidal doctor in the world's worst hospital, which is surrounded by lawsuits, protesters and utter incompetence. There's tons of stuff happening and it doesn't all come together fluidly, but it mixes in plenty of hilarious moments without ever straining too far into broad comedy territory.Scott is definitely the primary thing going for it though, a towering force of expert comedy and drama that does what I wish the entire film had done. He's a great straight man for all of the madcap disasters happening throughout the hospital, and his suicidal rampages walk that fine line of being comedic and darkly intimidating at the same time. There's a scene between him and Diana Rigg where she tries to seduce him and he ends up going into a very dark reservoir of his mind that is haunting and terrifying. He devours everything around him, a wrecking ball of frustration with the world and he shines strong when delivering the impressive Chayefsky dialogue. The film itself doesn't quite hit the mark it's going for, but it's certainly still a worthwhile experience, elevated by the superb performance from Scott and Chayefsky's writing.

Siamois The Hospital is somewhat of a cult classic for reasons that are obvious but shows unfortunate signs of age and ends up being a mixed bag. The story centers on Dr. Bock (George C. Scott) as well as the rest of the staff and the patients of a Manhattan hospital marred by bureaucratic nightmares while mysterious deaths occur. STORY:Penned by Paddy Chayefsky, this is a rather dark comedy that tackles a lot of issues which, almost 40 years later, are still very relevant. Throughout the story, the apparent flawless nature of science clashes with the failings of the nature of men. The main character Dr. Bock most brilliantly depicts this conflict. Bock is a man with intense desires and a drive to achieve yet is a broken soul. His vocation is to heal and save lives but he suffers himself from illnesses and contemplates suicide. The main character is amazing but the peripheral characters in The Hospital rarely cut it and most seem like caricatures, lessening the global impact and social commentary of the film. Furthermore, the most interesting parts of the film deal entirely with the bureaucratic aspects and the staff. The mysterious deaths take more and more importance as the story progresses and actually detract from this movie. The last half hour makes the whole almost seem pointless.CAST:On one hand, George C. Scott delivers another performance that demonstrates why he can still be considered one of the greatest actors who ever lived. His character, Dr. Bock, is complex and Scott uses all his range. This is magnificent acting. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is so-so, due to bad casting choices, weak acting and also uninspiring characters.CINEMATOGRAPHY:Rather bland and unremarkable but still serviceable. We do get a sense of the hospital building but very few shots really grabbed me.Overall, this is a fine script by Paddy Chayefsky and George C. Scott is amazing, but some of the dialog is badly dated and a better director would have crafted a better overall film. Director Arthur Hiller is mostly renowned for getting great performances out of lead actors but a Kubrick he isn't when it comes to crafting a cinematic masterpiece.

barrwell Paddy Chayefsky's scathing, sardonic take on the medical establishment is still very relevant today. Like his later, more acclaimed "Network", The Hospital at the time it was released probably seemed like hard-edged satire. 40 years later in the context of an even more insane and corrupt society, these films seem frighteningly real. As much as this movie belongs to Cheyefsky, it equally belongs to George C. Scott, perfectly cast as the alcoholic chief of medicine who has grown despondent over the state of both his personal and professional life. This is the very essence of pathos, and indeed pathos is a specialty of Paddy Cheyefsky. Maybe The Hospital could be called "Network meets Mash", but one thing is for sure...its another forgotten gem from the 70s that deserves to be revisited.The first hour of The Hospital is simply marvelous. Dr. Bock (Scott) somewhat reluctantly investigates a sudden rash of mysterious deaths, as well as dealing with other odd little situations, while simultaneously seeking professional help from the staff psychiatrist for his growing suicidal tendencies. The breakneck pace sometimes undermines the outstanding dialog, there is so much to see and hear in this film it almost demands multiple viewings...yet it is so entertaining that I didn't mind watching again (and again).There are two scenes that really stood out to me: 1) An early conversation between Bock and a young doctor (Robert Walden) where the doctor details a preposterous case of malpractice that has recently occurred. It's one of those scenes that are so well-written and well-crafted, you might actually forget you are watching a movie and think you are eavesdropping on a couple of doctors!2) The scene where Bock first meets Barbara (Diana Rigg) and eventually goes into a drunken rant about the state of the medical profession. This scene blows me away every time I see it and Scotts cryptic line "we cure nothing...we heal nothing" really resonates. I think Scott is actually better here than he was in his Oscar winning role in "Patton". So compelling and believable is he when he talks about the state of his marriage and family...again its like eavesdropping.Barbara's character is trying to take her father out of the hospital and back to his Indian reservation, and this subplot intertwines with the main plot for a second half that sometimes strays into near-slapstick hilarity and leads to an ending that isn't quite as fulfilling as what I hoped it would be. The first half of the film was so good and hard-hitting that maybe I expected a better closing salvo than "someone has to be responsible"...i guess this says...as despondent as Bock is he hasn't lost his moral compass (maybe getting laid was all he needed?). I wanted something different, and expected something different from a great screenwriter and a movie made in this revolutionary time period, but hey its still a really good, must-see film...funny, cynical, enlightening...and quite memorable.I guess I have to rate it in halves; 10 for the first half and 6 for the second for an overall 8. Give it a try, if anything I think I'm being too hard on this movie, which is another 70s near-classic.