The Citadel (1938)

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

brilliant actors, brilliant editing

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

There's little question why this film earned an Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Robert Donat), Direction, and Adapted Screenplay. It's an excellent film with Robert Donat in particular providing a superb performance.Donat plays a doctor who goes to work in the coal mining area of Great Britain. He becomes frustrated when the yokels rebel against his rather tame experiments trying to prove that coal dust is what is causing most of their lung problems. As a result, he and his wife (Rosalind Russell) head for London, where the popular thinking is more modern. There he runs into Rex Harrison, a doctor who is catering to the rich set and their many imaginary illnesses. It's lucrative work, but Russell becomes discouraged over her husband's abandonment of his principles. He comes to his senses and saves a child ballet prodigy, only to be accused of assisting an unlicensed doctor. He, however, wins his case and seems to be back on track to be the responsible physician he once was.As I indicated, Robert Donat is excellent here; quite a shame that his acting career was cut short due to his illness. While important to the story, Rosalind Russell's stint here as the wife is clearly secondary; this is Donat's film from beginning to end; nevertheless, she does well. A key player here, who does not get enough screen time, is the wonderful Ralph Richardson as another small town doctor who maintains his principles throughout. Rex Harrison is just right for his part.There was really only one criticism I had of the film -- the ending. I often think films end too abruptly, and this is one of those. With just a few minutes more we could have been treated to "a year later" where he is working hard at a progressive clinic for real sick people. With something like that, I might have considered an "8" for the film, but instead I'll give it a very strong "7".

While this film about doctors might seem a tad dated, its messages are rather timeless and the film is well worth your time. In many ways, the film is very reminiscent of several other 1930s "noble doctor films", such as ARROWSMITH, but there's enough uniqueness to the film that it's still well worth seeing.Young Robert Donat is just out of medical school and eager to help mankind--particularly the poor and often forgotten. Unfortunately, the two times in the film where he devotes so much of his energy to assisting these people he is ultimately disappointed and sometimes betrayed by the very people he wants to help. So, naturally, after either struggling to make ends meet or being attacked for trying to innovate, he is sick of it all and begins working with rich clients who don't particularly have any problems--other than the fact that they are pampered and love to throw their money at doctors with the latest fad and quack treatments! How Donat and his lovely wife, Rosalind Russell make it through all this is pretty interesting. Plus, I was pretty amazed and happy that the film ended on a very uncertain note. Some may hate the vagueness of the conclusion, but I liked it this way, as it really encouraged you to think.The film has excellent acting, writing and direction and it a great film for young doctors to see as they go out into the world.

This is not one of King Vidor's finest achievements.A pioneer during the silent area(the big parade,the crowd),a great director in the talkies too (our daily bread,duel in the sun,Ruby Gentry,Fountainhead),he does not seem to be that much inspired with AJ Cronin's rather conventional novels.The direction is academic and static,inspiration is absent.What still appeals in this movie is the interpretation.Robert Donat is a very competent actor,particularly in the first part.Because it's basically a two-part movie:-The first part,the most convincing, deals with poor parts of England,focusing on the miners' health.Although some scenes seem unlikely (the baby),the depiction of this little town,with its simple life,its teacher (a good Rosalind Russel) who will marry the doctor,its tragedies in the mine,is really endearing.Maybe John Ford will remember it when he films "how green was my valley".-The second part,in which the hero loses -temporarily- his soul and gains the world-London-.An excellent Rex Harrison-sadly,his part is much too short-"treats" old rich hypocondriacs.And the hero realizes that rich people mean a lot of money.Sometimes it verges on caricature(the hysterical woman).The best scene :the owner of the small Italian restaurant tells Donat about her daughter's health problems ,and he goes on picking out his hors d'oeuvres ,indifferent to the mother's plight.This seems often dated,but it's worth watching.

Donat was never better, and the supporting cast is excellent all the way with no false notes. The period and its concerns and constraints are captured perfectly. This is the kind of philosophical statement movies that did well in the 30's and 40's but later became a lost art. This is worth seeing by young and old alike.