Quase Deuses

The performances of both Alan Rickman & rapper Mos Def shine brightly in this film of racism, perseverance, & the pursuit of advancements in medical science/surgery. Rickman's self-righteous & pompous Dr. Alfred Blaylock compliments greatly Mos Def's quiet, determined, & passive-aggressive role as lab assistant/technician Vivien Thomas.

The two men met at a time when medical science was headed for major discoveries & taking chances was not the order of the day. During the 30's & 40's, America was a different place for people of color in the negative sense & the medical community offered little or no opportunities for non-whites as well. Most people of color worked menial labor jobs liked servants or skilled craftsmen & lived with no luxuries & not much hope for more. Vivien Thomas, a carpenter by trade, stumbles upon a job assisting prominent surgeon & professor Dr. Alfred Blaylock. The snobbish Blaylock working on experiments to cure patients of shock to no avail. Soon, Dr. Blaylock discovers that Vivien is more than just a lowly assistant but a very intelligent young man yearning for a chance to prove himself to the powers that be. Vivien develops new techniques & surgical devices to create a "blue dog" & a way to reverse the condition. Realizing the potential to turn the medical community on its ear, Dr. Blaylock takes Thomas on a long & arduous journey with him through bigotry, scientific discovery, tension between the two men themselves, & successful "blue baby" surgeries. Although Thomas did not receive the notoriety & accolades that usually come with advances in medicine, he carried on for many years working with & teaching doctors his techniques Johns Hopkins. Thomas was elevated to Director of Surgical Services but still had not reached his ultimate goal. Finally after the death of longtime partner & friend Dr. Blaylock, Thomas was awarded an honorary doctorate of medicine by his colleagues & the prestigious Johns Hopkins. After a lifetime of self-sacrifice, determination, & love of medicine, Thomas had arrived & felt the satisfaction he always wanted; Vivien Thomas was now a face in the medical community that had shunned him for so long.

"Something the Lord Made" is a feast for the heart & the mind. All those who view this movie will walk away with better appreciation for those individuals who made the ultimate sacrifices in their own lives to change our existence for the positive. Rickman & Mos Def play off each other brilliantly & make you believe. Rickman always gives you everything called for in a role & does not disappoint in this film. I was most impressed with Mos Def's performance & gained a newfound respect for this young actor.

If you are not "moved" by this film, you'd better check your pulse. Your heart may need some fixin'!!!

It's gratifying to know that I'm not the only one who was surprisingly moved by this story. I had known only a tiny part of the story before the movie: that a white surgeon and a black technician developed the process that could save "blue babies." That's a huge accomplishment, but only a portion of the story.

Alan Rickman does a splendid job portraying Dr. Blalock. There are a few moments when his southern accent slips and a little British comes through, but in terms of portrayal of the character, he is convincing. Blalock is ambitious, and in fact so focused on his professional and medical goals that sometimes he's clueless as to what others are going through to get him what he wants. He's also at turns arrogant and compassionate...exactly what one would have to be to do what he did. One thing the movie communicates very effectively is just how much of a revolution this surgery was: not merely operating on a baby heart, Dr. Blalock opened the gate to surgery on *any* human heart. Rickman doesn't overdo it, but he gets the character across.

Mos Def steals the show, however, in his subtle portrayal of Vivien Thomas. There's no grandstanding in this performance; he makes us believe that we know Thomas, and that to know him is to love him. He plays a man who had more character in his little finger than most people find in their whole lives, and he does it with zero ham. It isn't just that he gives an understated performance...he becomes this man who feels deeply even though he doesn't express it loudly. You see it in his eyes, in his pauses, in his voice. It's hard to describe, except to say that beneath the calm, quiet, even deferential exterior there is, undeniably, a whole person, a fully human, noble, wise, mature, gracious character.

A previous commentator asks if the presentation, near the end of the story, of an honorary degree was supposed to be an apotheosis of sorts. Perhaps. I suspect, however, that it isn't the conferring of a degree but the unveiling of the portrait, that actually vindicates Thomas and lifts him to his place in the medical pantheon of Johns-Hopkins' larger-than-life wonder-workers. At the end of the film, Vivien is sitting in the lobby, looking at his own portrait next to that of Blalock's when he's paged as "Dr. Thomas." He has to wipe the tears from his eyes to respond to the page. Maybe it's the degree and the portrait together.

The same commentator asked whether the film omitted mention of Thomas's eventual title. Actually, there's a scene immediately after their arrival in Baltimore in which the Director of Laboratories gives Vivien some money and tells him to bring coffee and a donut. At the end of the film, when Blalock calls Vivien's office, we see Vivien's title on the office door: Director of Laboratories. The irony is sweet.

This is a compelling, touching film, with wonderful performances all around.

In 1930, the skilled carpenter Vivien Thomas (Yasiin Bey) loses his job and is hired by the arrogant Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) as a janitor in Vanderbilt. But soon Vivien is promoted to lab technician due to his skills. Vivien expects to join the medical school but his savings are lost in the Great Depression. Dr. Blalock moves to the Johns Hopkins University and brings Vivien with him. Along the years, they develop the bypass surgery using dogs as guinea pigs. When they save the first blue baby, their surgery technique becomes a worldwide success. But Vivien has no credit for his accomplishment. Will time correct this omission?

"Something the Lord Made" is a wonderful film that discloses the story of the first bypass surgery. The situation of Vivien Thomas is heartbreaking, in a period of great racism in the United States of America. The conclusion of this true story is gratifying and moving. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Quase Deuses" ("Near Gods")

As a fan of Mos Def, as soon as i saw the preview for this movie i knew it would be quality stuff. The tempo and feeling of the movie were perfect, no over the top acting or unnecessary scenes. As someone stated earlier, the racial issues of the time were touched on perfectly but not focused on. Mos is a true renaissance man...he makes good music, plays bass guitar, does Broadway, as well as movies. He is slowly approaching superstar status, but is not chasing it as many do. I think this performance will certainly bring this talented performer the recognition he deserves. The sky is the limit for this guy.

As an African-American screenwriter, it dismays me to always see "films" like soul plane and the like represent black film today. There are so many stories to be told, history and themes to be explored. This film made me proud.

I have seen this movie at least 8 times since it first appeared last summer and never tire of it. I must add that my entire adult working life has been in the field of medicine so maybe I have more interest than some. The names of the residents in this film are names I have heard throughout my career. I am amazed by the genius of Vivien Thomas (or anyone without medical training who could understand as he did) and at the fact that Doctor Blalock accepted him as an individual (most of the time), without regard to his race or lack of medical education. I cannot think of actors who would have done a better job than Alan Rickman or Mos Def and I applaud them, and the rest of the cast, as well as the producers, for bringing this wonderful story to life. I can only hope it will be available on DVD soon, if not yet. I have told at least 100 people about this movie, without giving away too much detail. If you are interested in medicine, and the development of new procedures that change lives, especially of the very, very young, then this is a movie for you. Even if you do not have a medical background, it is worth seeing for the genius and compassion of those two men who did not allow the racial climate of the times to overpower their desire to make a difference. To all the residents who learned at Hopkins from these two gifted men, be forever grateful that their lives touched yours, albeit briefly. We lost two very gifted men who did an exceptional job of training others to follow in their footsteps. Jeers to the staff members who were ruled by race and education and a firm salute to those who were not. I give it a 10!