Britannia Hospital

Customer Reviews:

If... you want to stay a Lucky Man, don't enter Britannia Hospital.......2007-08-14

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

After I saw during the last week the first ("If...", 1968) and the final ("Britannia Hospital", 1982) films of Lindsay Anderson's satirical Mick Travis trilogy, I realized the whole scope and magnitude of his vision. In his three films ("O Lucky Man", 1973, is a middle chapter), he had covered all aspects, politics, and institutions of British Society from 1968 to 1982 with its complex system of class and caste differences and privileges, including its public schools, its international politics, its law system, and its health care system, and he found out that something was rotten in the British Kingdom, The third and final chapter of the trilogy, takes place almost entirely in the Britannia Hospital, one of the oldest and most respectable English medical centers in London that celebrates its 500th anniversary and expects the Queen Mother herself to attend. But there are many troubles at the hospital that mirror the problems the whole society suffers from and may turn the celebration into a nightmare. Our old friend, Mick "Lucky Man" Travis (Malcolm McDowell) who had become investigative reporter arrives with his crew to cover the celebration but accidentally he becomes a witness and then an unwilling participant in the sinister human experiments that are conducted by Professor Millar. The "mad scientist" had promised to Mick in the previous movie that as a result of the experiment, he would become much better... Well, Mick is just about to find out if that is true.

Very clever, very British, filled equally with dry humor and horrifying shocking sequences, "Britannia Hospital" ends the trilogy with the bang. Its final 20 minutes are the combination of the darkest surreal comedy and the serious compelling futuristic satire of the long-lasting power. As for Mick, "Britannia Hospital" left no hopes for another Mick Travis chapter ever. After all, Mick may not be a lucky man but we are the lucky viewers that have been following him on his crazy and unforgettable journey where Lindsay Anderson sent us.

Off the Rails.......2007-08-07

Something happened to Lindsay Anderson between O! Lucky Man and Britannia Hospital. They, like If..., are both ferocious satires, but where O! Lucky Man attacked its targets with wit and energy, Britannia is an angry, predictable bludgeon. It's as if all the ingredients in the film are, like half a brain in one particularly witless scene, tossed into a blender, whirled together and served frenetically for nearly two hours. All in all, it's misanthropy times 10, mitigated only by an equally savage, but appropriate, satire of the mad, egocentric doctor's purported improvement on humanity. Remember Anderson for If.. and Lucky Man, but not this.

NOT PART THREE.......2007-02-16

Britannia Hospital was initially a disappointment because it is generally considered to be the third part of the Mick Travis trilogy, which it isn't. The script and preproduction were already under way before Malcolm McDowell became involved with the film, and he was added only as an afterthought and was wasted. One of the minor and somewhat incidental character's name was changed to Mick Travis. This decision to "cash in" was fatal to the millions of fans of `O Lucky Man' and `If.." who came to see the further adventures of Mick Travis. And it subsequently killed this film like a James Bond movie would if it didn't have James Bond in it.
On its own, it is a quirky tale of a British government hospital that caters to the elite members of society as it prepares for a visit from H.R.H. (Her Royal Highness). The hospital director will stop at absolutely nothing to make this happen, to the point of absurdity. He persists despite the fact that outside the gates appear thousands of violent, communist, anti-monarchial protesters who despise the exclusivity of Britannia Hospital and also will stop at nothing to achieve their destructive goal.
Between these two clashing groups is the staff research scientist, the Dr. Frankenstein-like Prof. Miller, who has perfected his technique for the revivification of flesh which he plans to use on a body he has sewn together from parts of dead bodies, nothing will stand in his way either.
It is like the philosophy puzzle with a third element, "What happens when the unstoppable meets the immovable and the impossible?" Entertaining but very English in that the humor is dry and more of a `heh-heh' rather than a `HA HA'.

About the DVD itself...........2004-10-07

Since other reviewers have done a good job summarizing and evaluating Britannia Hospital, I'll focus mainly on Anchor Bay's treatment of the film. But I will say that I view B.H. as slightly weaker than If... and O Lucky Man!, the other two entries in the so-called Mick Travis trilogy, written by David Sherwin, directed by Lindsay Anderson, and starring Malcolm McDowell. It's not bad by any means, but it lacks the light touch and surreal creativity that made the others so unique and brilliant. (I also feel that Arthur Hiller's The Hospital, a 1971 black comedy with George C. Scott, covered the same ground -- and was more subtle, too.) But B.H. is hilarious at times and showcases Lindsay Anderson's gift for editing and his adeptness at handling a cast of Altman-like size.

Anchor Bay's transfer of this British film is a good one. I didn't spot any blemishes at all, so I'm guessing that the print was still in pristine condition. It features that heavy graininess that I associate with movies from the 70s and early 80s, but that's a problem with the original element and not Anchor Bay's transfer. Unfortunately, the sound is poor at times (like many pre-1990 British films). Some scenes are crystal-clear, while others are very muddy. Perhaps this can't be helped, but Anchor Bay should have provided the option for subtitles, which they don't.

Extras are minimal but good. There are two original trailers and extensive biographical notes for Malcolm McDowell and Lindsay Anderson. In my opinion, Anchor Bay does a great job on their talent bios. Best of all is an 11-minute interview with McDowell, who speaks fondly of his working relationship with Anderson. I would have liked for him to talk more about his experience making this movie, especially how they staged the infamous operating room scene, but the interview is a good alternative to a commentary, which would have been hard for McDowell to do since he appears so little throughout the movie.

My only complaint regarding this Anchor Bay release is that it isn't part of the sort of DVD boxset that the Mick Travis trilogy deserves. Until someone gets around to releasing If... and O Lucky Man! on DVD, I really can't consider this disc the definitive version of Britannia Hospital. And I really hope that some company gets working on those releases while Malcolm McDowell is still with us.

Stand alone, I'm not sure.......2003-09-23

I'm sorry. I can't be satisfied after "O Lucky Man!". It is bias, I know, but I just can't be satisfied. It probably is a great film in it's own right, but I don't think a perfect ending. When I watched it, I was overcome by a sense of finality. Originally, I wanted to see the late Leonard Rossiter(The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin) in a starring role. I found out that it was a third part of a trilogy I was only dimly aware of. I think that it is now hard to watch as anything but an end of a trilogy("If...", "O Lucky Man!", and "Britannia Hospital"). It is a strange film. And it has beautiful moments. Like the girl offering a flower to the riot squad policeman. It is a very loose end to the trilogy, but a stark statement of itself. Like the others, a definite statement about the future is open. That makes it more enjoyable. Crowden is very creepy and so so positive as Prof. Miller. There are some interesting cameos as well. Watch what happens to Mark Hamill(Luke Skywalker). Anderson ended this trilogy of movies on a realistic, but bleak note. What becomes of Travis is just a side note. The card with the original poster is great. I have made people watch this by itself, but I still suggest watching all of it together.

Average customer rating:

If... you want to stay a Lucky Man, don't enter Britannia Hospital
Off the Rails
NOT PART THREE
About the DVD itself....
Stand alone, I'm not sure

Britannia Hospital [Region 2]
Starring: Leonard Rossiter , Brian Pettifer , John Moffatt , Fulton Mackay , and Vivian Pickles
Director: Lindsay Anderson
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0001P045A