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Poster for The English Surgeon

The English Surgeon

Even God Can't Save Everyone

2009 · 1h 33m · N/A Documentary
Directed by Geoffrey Smith

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Overview

This documentary offers a glimpse into the life of an English neurosurgeon (Henry Marsh) situated in Ukraine as we are exposed to the overwhelming dilemmas he has to face and the burden he has to carry throughout his profession.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
89%
Tomatometer
Fresh

Some will feel privileged to see human drama and an aspect of life not often seen on the movie screen. Others will feel haunted by it and wish they never saw it. For sure, few will leave the film unaffected.

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Fresh

Like Marsh, the filmmaker has taken a sort of triage approach to telling the tale, with near-perfect pacing as he moves between Marsh, the patients, and Marsh's wonderful Ukrainian colleague, neurosurgeon Igor Kurilets.

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times
Fresh

[A] superb documentary.

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture
Fresh

Why see such a difficult film? For the same reason Smith made it: There is great beauty in watching one heroic soul insist that he can improve upon a cruel and complex world.

Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Rotten

[Director] Smith seems intent on turning Marsh into a folk hero. That's fine, I suppose, although it would have been informative to take a closer look at Ukraine's medical nightmare -- its causes and its prognosis.

V.A. Musetto, New York Post

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