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The English Surgeon (2007)

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Movie review

From Time Out London

Neurosurgeon Henry Marsh faces life-or-death decisions on a daily basis. Removing a brain tumour from a stricken patient could save their life, but the risks of the procedure could also kill or handicap them. Testing enough to face this in a top London hospital but the ever-charming Marsh also helps out for free in the Ukraine, where the paucity of resources make the choices even starker. Made for the BBC’s ‘Storyville’ strand, this is one extraordinary documentary, approaching hugely emotive subject matter with nimble delicacy and, it has to be said, steely reserve when it comes to filming a brain operation performed under only local anaesthetic. A life-affirming, unforgettable portrait of a true humanitarian, it’s crying out for a proper cinema release.

Author: Trevor Johnston

Time Out London

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User reviews of this film

Rev. Francis Pole said...

Posted on Apr 02 2008 15:47 Oned of the most moving documentaries I have ever seen on television. A wonderful and utterly dedicated surgeon with his Ukranian protege. How privileged we are to be able to view this - and how desperately fortunate we are to live in the West. Surely the moral of this beautiful account is that we should share our wealth and our skills with those who, very sadly, have less than ourselves.

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Roman Zoltowski said...

Posted on Mar 30 2008 19:56 A very moving film,skilfully made.Very emotionally charged but never sliding into pathos. The two main characters honestly and accurately portrayed.Beautifully edited.
I think Diana Gutkind is refering to an earlier film,also by Geoffrey Smith in the series "Your Life in their Hands".

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