MOVIEmeter
SEE RANK
Up 2,699 this week

Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990)

6.6
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 6.6/10 from 217 users  
Reviews: 6 user | 1 critic

Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune, 1890-1939, (Donald Sutherland) journeys 1500 miles into China to reach Mao Zedong's eighth route army in the Wu Tai mountains where he will build hospitals,... See full summary »

Director:

Writers:

(novel), (screenplay)
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 1623 titles created 4 months ago
 
a list of 1042 titles created 3 weeks ago
 
a list of 1216 titles created 28 Mar 2011
 
a list of 382 titles created 2 months ago
 
a list of 91 titles created 4 months ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990)

Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990) on IMDb 6.6/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of Bethune: The Making of a Hero.
1 win & 9 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

Edit

Cast

Credited cast:
...
...
Frances Penny Bethune
...
Mrs. Dowd
...
Chester Rice
...
Mr. Tung
Da Guo ...
Dr. Chian
...
Marie-France Coudaire
...
Alan Coleman
Geoffrey Chater ...
Dr. Archibald
Zong-yao Tan ...
General Nieh
Ke-Yaw Zhang ...
Iñaki Aierra ...
Dr. Salvador
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lorne Brass ...
Reporter 1
Sophie Faucher ...
Nurse MacKenzie
Frank Fontaine ...
Dr. Williamson
Edit

Storyline

Canadian surgeon Norman Bethune, 1890-1939, (Donald Sutherland) journeys 1500 miles into China to reach Mao Zedong's eighth route army in the Wu Tai mountains where he will build hospitals, provide care, and train medics. Flashbacks narrate the earlier events of his life: a bout with tuberculosis at the Trudeau sanatorium; the self-administration of an experimental pneumothorax; the invention of operative instruments; his fascination with socialism; a journey into medical Russia; and the founding of a mobile plasma transfusion unit in war-torn Spain. Bethune twice married and twice divorced his wife, Frances (Helen Mirren) who chooses abortion over child-rearing in her unstable marriage. By 1939, Bethune had been dismissed from his Montreal Hospital for taking unconventional risks and from his volunteer position in Spain for his chronic problems of drinking and womanizing. As his friend states: "China was all that was left." Even there, Bethune confidently ignores the advice of ... Written by Duffin, Jacalyn

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

china | spain | chinese | canada | canadian | See more »


Edit

Details

Country:

| |

Language:

Release Date:

17 September 1993 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Dr. Bethune  »

Filming Locations:


Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

See  »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

 
Selfless international humanitarian and communist, Dr. Norman Bethune's story
12 October 2000 | by (Canada) – See all my reviews

"I refuse to condone, by passivity, or default, the wars which greedy men make against others. Spain and China are part of the same battle. I am going to China because I feel that is where I can be most useful."

-Dr. Norman Bethune

Donald Sutherland's performance was wonderful in this film. The story is important and truly interesting. Presenting the life of Dr. Norman Bethune and his complex character, he was both selfless and arrogant, an international humanitarian, an alchoholic and a communist who acted on his beliefs (when so many of us simply talk about them). Bethune was a champion of socialized medicine and a rabid anti-facist who though subject to entirely human failings also presented the best in human achievement. Bethune's life is fascinating and truly heroic and this film demonstrates that fact very well. Several of the rational criticisms leveled at the film by other IMDB commentators are apt, but the film is a triumph nonetheless. As for the 'up with communism' criticism: Of course Mao was a big problem for China and the Chinese people. But that was not evident in 1939. In 1939 Japanese were the problem. It is easy to be smart when looking back in time and with a history book on your lap. It is harder to forsee events when they havent happened yet. Perhaps our polish friend would have chosen differently had he been in the same position. But he could not have chosen better.


9 of 9 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Discuss Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?