The Physician (2013 film)
The Physician | |
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German | Der Medicus |
Directed by | Philipp Stölzl |
Written by |
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Screenplay by | Jan Berger |
Based on | The Physician by Noah Gordon |
Produced by | Wolf Bauer Nico Hofmann |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Hagen Bogdanski |
Edited by | Sven Budelmann |
Music by | Ingo Ludwig Frenzel |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time |
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Country | Germany |
Language | English |
Budget | $32 million |
Box office | $57,284,237[2] |
Part of a series on |
Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā) |
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Works |
Thoughts |
Pupils |
|
Monuments |
The Physician (German: Der Medicus) is a 2013 German historical drama film based on the novel of the same name by Noah Gordon.[3] The film, co-written and directed by Philipp Stölzl, focuses on an orphan from an 11th-century English town whose mother died of side sickness. The boy vows to study medicine and decides to travel to Persia.[4]
The film stars
in lead roles.Plot
In Medieval Europe, the
Robert Cole has an extraordinary gift, where he can sense when someone left untreated has a
Rob is told Christians are forbidden to enter Muslim lands while Jews are tolerated. Upon arriving in
In a
The Christian, Jewish and Islamic religions influence the evaluation of medical science, and a conflict is sparked by the ethical assessment of the
Isfahan is betrayed by the
Rob Cole, as well as others, escape through a gate the Shah has told them about while he and his men go to make a last stand against the Seljuks. Rob returns with Rebecca, as his wife, to London and establishes a hospital. The old Barber, Cole's first teacher, learns from a little boy about his former pupil's return and fame. The Barber then asks the boy to take him to see his old pupil as the film ends.
Cast
- Tom Payne as Rob Cole/Jesse Ben Benjamin
- Emma Rigby as Rebecca
- Stellan Skarsgård as Barber
- Ben Kingsley as Ibn Sina
- Shah Ala ad-Daula
- Michael Marcus as Mirdin
- Elyas M'Barek as Karim
- Fahri Yardım as Davout Hossein
- Makram Khoury as Imam
- Stanley Townsend as Bar Kappara
- Adam Thomas Wright as Young Rob Cole
- Peter Bankoleas Mano Dayak
- Renu Setna as Quasim
Release
The film premiered on 25 December 2013 in German theaters. It was an immediate box-office hit and earned the producers a Bogey Award for more than 1,000 visitors per copy on its opening weekend and 1 million visitors within ten days.[5]
It was also released as an extended two-part mini-series for the German public TV ARD.
Critical reception
Critics for the movie were overall positive for its visuals and interesting subjects while it is criticized for its historical inaccuracies and simplistic romanticism. Peter Debruge praised the film for being "a hearty historical epic that pits intellectual progress against the stifling influence of world religions".[6] Ben Kingsley's acting was deemed successful in portraying the Islamic scholar Avicenna.[6][7] The visuals and the scene design of the movie were appreciated.[6][8] Although, the environment and costume design were approved,[7] the historical inaccuracies were observed negatively.[9][8] The movie is criticized for its "old fashioned story structure",[7] "simplistic emotional ploys and reductive characterizations"[6] and the script's inaccuracies; such as the altered timeline, the misdepiction of Islamic laws and organization, and the unrealistic comparison of Avicenna with his student (the protagonist).[8][9]
References
- ^ Wurm, Gerald. "Der Medicus - Eine Reise aus der Dunkelheit ins Licht - Schnittbericht: Kinofassung (Schnittberichte.com)". www.schnittberichte.com. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Der Medicus (The Physician) (2013)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ Haderer, Stephan (29 December 2013). "Film review: "Der Medicus" ("The Physician", GER 2013)". panopticumlight.wordpress.com. Retrieved 29 August 2021 – via WordPress.com.
- ^ "Der Medicus (The Physician)". filmaffinity.com. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Excellent box-office start for Der Medicus (The Physician)". RTL Group. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d Debruge, Peter (6 December 2014). "Film Review: 'The Physician'". Variety.
- ^ a b c Moore, Roger (1 December 2014). "Movie Review: "The Physician"". Movie Nation. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ a b c Coleman, Sandy (29 January 2020). "The Physician review: historical inaccuracies and lopsided debate". Candid.
- ^ a b Larsen, Andrew E. "The Physician". An Historian Goes to the Movies. Retrieved 29 August 2021 – via WordPress.com.
External links
- The Physician at IMDb
- The Physician at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Physician at AllMovie
- The Physician (Der Medicus): Berlin Review on hollywoodreporter.com
- 'Der Medicus' At #1 In Germany And Spain on bertelsmann.com/