This movie offers a surprisingly low-key account of the work of Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and especially his assistant Vivien Thomas (Mos Def) who, working together, created the techniques that led to the first successful heart surgery in the world. It's ostensibly a medical movie, and it does include a lot of medical jargon which, in all honesty, was over my head although it made the point that this was truly revolutionary work they were pioneering. And yet, while the movie revolved around medical experiments and surgeries, it was much more than that. Without becoming a movie about the civil rights struggle, the movie was definitely set in that context. As a black man, Thomas (who wanted to go to medical school but couldn't afford it) had to deal with all the assorted challenges of living in that time - segregation, racism and a general lack of respect from those among whom he worked. Even Blalock, who obviously did respect Thomas and his knowledge and abilities and who did fight to improve Thomas' salary and working conditions, seemed to take him for granted at times, not understanding Thomas' reaction at being given no public credit for the work in which he had shared (and in which he was, in many ways, more knowledgeable of and more proficient in than Blalock.) The complexities of such an inter- racial partnership were well portrayed in one simple scene where Blalock shows up at Thomas' home one night. Thomas' wife tells him that in 12 years he's never come to their home; Blalock responds that in 12 years he's never been invited to come to their home. As closely as Blalock and Thomas worked, they were still two solitudes - the point was briefly but well made, and it has to be noted that both Rickman and Def were excellent in their respective roles.
The conclusion was appropriate, as we finally see Thomas get the credit he deserved for his work, being granted an honorary doctorate by Johns Hopkins, where he and Blalock had perfected their heart surgery techniques and having his portrait hung on the wall beside Blalock's. One certainly couldn't call this an exciting movie, but it has important stories (medical, social and biographical) to tell. 7/10
The conclusion was appropriate, as we finally see Thomas get the credit he deserved for his work, being granted an honorary doctorate by Johns Hopkins, where he and Blalock had perfected their heart surgery techniques and having his portrait hung on the wall beside Blalock's. One certainly couldn't call this an exciting movie, but it has important stories (medical, social and biographical) to tell. 7/10