Satire at its darkest. Scott in fine, hammy form (for once a part that takes advantage of his overblown core) as a N.Y. medical center's chief surgeon whose personal life has driven him to the brink of suicide. His busy hospital is being torn apart by a string of inexplicable murders of
staff members. The laughs are sardonic, and the reality of Chayefsky's heavy-handed message (i.e., hospitals treat their patients badly) eats away at the viewer. But even when it falls flat, it's still an interesting watch.
Released:
1971
Rated:
GP
Length:
103 mins