The Hospital

Directed by Arthur Hiller, The Hospital details the chaotic happenings within a busy Manhattan teaching hospital and the impact said happenings, which includes a series of inexplicable deaths, have on George C. Scott’s grizzled Dr. Bock. Filmmaker Hiller, working from Paddy Chayefsky’s smart script, certainly does an effective job of instantly drawing the viewer into the deliberate proceedings, as The Hospital kicks off with a striking opening sequence that paves the way for a first half rife with compelling sequences and spellbinding performances – with, in terms of the latter, the picture benefiting quite substantially from Scott’s lived-in and entirely captivating turn as the beleaguered central character. The authentic atmosphere ultimately goes a long way towards smoothing over the periodic missteps within the narrative, including a fairly tedious subplot involving Bock’s unusual relationship with Diana Rigg’s oddball Barbara, and it’s clear, too, that Chayefsky’s predilection for theatrical, stylized dialogue is rarely as problematic as one might’ve initially feared. (Bock, for example, has a lengthy monologue that would undoubtedly come off as hilariously over-the-top in the hands of a lesser performer.) By the time the electrifying, impressively sprawling final stretch rolls around, The Hospital has confirmed its place as an erratic yet rewarding drama that offers an eye-opening look at the behind-the-scenes occurrences within an urban hospital.

*** out of ****