Morts suspectes

I just revisited this movie after 25 years and was surprised how well it held up, even given the rather absurd plot and advances in medical technology in the interim. Genevieve Bujold has forever been underused and underrated, and she is simply superb here. And while I wouldn't tarnish Hitchock's reputation by comparing Coma too closely to any of his work, Crichton does a good job of maintaining suspense. I love the scene where Richard Widmark explains the crazy rationale behind it all, and we see it through Bujold's drug-addled eyes, which somehow makes it more palatable than if we were watching it straight.

And I love all the cameos -- Lois Chiles! Tom Selleck! Ed Harris! Many other recognizable faces. Elizabeth Ashley is so over-the-top she's camp. All in all, a fun movie.

"Coma", as well as other mid-to-late 70's films, was one of the reasons I became a filmmaker myself. In terms of the suspence, tension and general spookiness of such a "normal and everyday" subject as hospitals, doctors, etc., was very influential in how I perceived the things around me. The great thing about the film, and the book - of course, was that we put our trust in people like doctors, policemen, goverment officials, and the like - and most of the time that trust is "blind faith". Dr. Cook and DR. Crichton are masters at this genre - Making the incredible credible. Even though this film is a bit dated, It is almost becoming a reality. In China, prisoners are "harvested" for their organs so others can benefit. Technology, like in the film, can now sustain life for as long as the machine(s) and/or computers can function. It was Sci-Fi in 1978 - now an all-to-real reality. Back to the film itself, I thought Dr. Crichton did a wonderful job on the directing and the screenplay. The material he had from Dr. Cook was first-rate. The cinematography, done by A.S.C. President Victor J. Kemper was outstanding. The technique of keeping the images at the hospital as cold, sterile and clinical as possible was brilliant. Mr. Hirschfield's "Jefferson Institute" sequences were also fantastic. Dr. Crichton's editing pace was also a stroke of genius. All editing was done with straight cuts. No zooms and very few dolly /pan shots. This was keep with the theme that YOU, THE VIEWER, are in the hospital and the "cuts" are as impersonal and precise as the doctor's scalpel. The cast was also well thought out. Ms. Bujold, even though she speaks with a thick French-Canadian accent, was the perfect protagonist. You do not have to be an Amazon Woman to be strong and independent. Mr. Douglas was a bit "sleepy" in his role, he just needed more to do. Mr. Widmark was perfect as the Chief, as was Mrs. Ashley as the Institute's head matron. Look for Tom Selleck and Ed Harris in their first movie roles. Also, in the "Jefferson Institute" sequence, you will see a young Christopher Reeve as a hapless victem of the movie's plot. All in all, "Coma" is one of those films that, even though had moderate success at the box office, is really a forgotten gem in the MGM vaults. It proves that you do not need blood guts, or special effects to make a great movie. Gee, kind of like Mr. Hitchcock.

In COMA, petite heroine Genevieve Bujold shows you don't have to be an amazon like Sigourney Weaver or Lucy Lawless to get physical with the bad guys. Set against a hospital backdrop ranking in verisimilitude with that of THE HOSPITAL (the only other accurate medical drama of the 1970's), this is a gripping thriller even on repeat viewing over twenty years later. Bujold's acting has been mentioned by other reviewers, but I would award special accolades to Richard Widmark, whose character's unctuous avuncularity is executed with superb subtlety. Plus, he even comports himself just like a real physician of seniority.

I do have a few complaints, not least of which is the gratuitous and grossly inaccurate portrayal of clinical lab personnel and the laboratory environment. Shame on Crichton, who must have missed out on visiting the lab through his entire tenure as a medical student. The laserdisc transfer is technically one of the worst I have in my collection. The monaural soundtrack is overdriven and distorted; the colors are washed out; and careless unmasking of the print (COMA is not letterboxed) results in visible boom mikes in several shots.

Still, this is a classic film, and anyone who wants to get up to speed on medical movies wouldn't want to exclude COMA.

I decided to pick up this film originally because it was an early Michael Douglas movie, and Michael Crighton wrote and directed this screenplay. By the cover it had all the elements for a great movie, and the movie brought no disappointment. It was absolutely intriguing and brilliantly filmed. The background of the cold sterile hospital was haunting and perfect. Each actor whether big or small brought a twist to the story. The main character who played Dr. Susan Wheeler was perfect as the stern, and cold Doctor who's best friend goes in for a routine operation and then is rendered into a mysterious brain dead Coma. Dr. Wheeler begins to notice strange "coincidences" around the hospital and starts to investigate other "Coma" cases. What she unravels is a top secret plot that goes right to the very top. The story unravels perfectly and the tension and clues are superb. You can't get a much better 2 hour movie. It's definately a movie that you might be tempted to pass by but it's worth renting. Michael Douglas is even great, although only in it as a supporting character, as Dr. Wheeler's Doctor boyfriend who she tries to convince something terrible is going on within the hospital. You never know who might be involved in this plot and you're waiting for it all to unravel. The only negative aspect of this movie was the ending happens very very quickly, kind of leaves you feeling a little hurried but still an first class movie. Also look for Tom Selleck portraying a patient/dead body. You can't go wrong with this movie. 8/10

"Coma" is one of those movies which for some reason made a powerful impression on me as a kid. Not through its story line, the acting or Geneviève Bujold(I was still too young to appreciate these "aspects" :-) ), but through an overall atmosphere. Such that, upon reviewing 20 years later, certain scenes trigger memories and almost puts me back into that couch as a 7-8 year old. Another of those movies is the weird early science fiction movie by George Lucas of which the title escapes me right now.

In "Coma", it was in particular the image of the "Jefferson Institute" building that recalled an evening somewhere in the late '70s. There's probably no movie featuring a more effective and suggestive modern-style horror house. For me, the "Jefferson Institute" complex perfectly impersonates and clenches the feeling that this intelligent thriller is trying to get accross. By its architecture and desertedness, it suggests sterility, impersonality, loneliness and the feeling of an industrial complex. The sterility of a medical system that does well in the technical aspect, but features a growing impersonality that makes it miss its primary goal: to make people feel good. The loneliness of Bujold, who is rather assumed by everyone to be paranoid than to be believed, even by her boyfriend. And the industrial feeling of a healthcare system that doesn't exist to cure people, but to keep itself alive as an industry (=profitable).

With the arrival of sophisticated genetic techniques, the medical horror genre is bound to return soon to the big screen. It will be difficult to do a better job than the concisely-titled "Coma"...

JoH