Britannia Hospital (1982)

Mick Travis is a reporter who is about to shoot a documentary on Britannia Hospital, an institution which mirrors the downsides of British Society. It's the day when Her Royal Highness is ... See full summary »

Director:

Lindsay Anderson

Writer:

David Sherwin

Stars:

Leonard Rossiter, Malcolm McDowell, Brian Pettifer

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Leonard Rossiter	...	Vincent Potter: Administration
Brian Pettifer	...	Biles: Administration
John Moffatt	...	Greville Figg: Administration
Fulton Mackay	...	Chief Superintendant Johns: Administration
Vivian Pickles	...	Matron: Administration
Barbara Hicks	...	Miss Tinker: Administration
Graham Crowden	...	Professor Millar: Medicos
Jill Bennett	...	Dr. MacMillan: Medicos
Peter Jeffrey	...	Sir Geoffrey: Medicos
Marsha A. Hunt	...	Nurse Amanda Persil: Medicos (as Marsha Hunt)
Catherine Willmer	...	Dr. Houston: Medicos
Mary MacLeod	...	Casualty Sister: Medicos
Joan Plowright	...	Phyllis Grimshaw: The Unions
Robin Askwith	...	Ben Keating: The Unions
Dave Atkins	...	Sharkey: The Unions

Storyline

Mick Travis is a reporter who is about to shoot a documentary on Britannia Hospital, an institution which mirrors the downsides of British Society. It's the day when Her Royal Highness is to visit the hospital to inaugurate a new wing, where advanced (and sinister) scientific experiments led by Prof. Millar will take place. Everybody in the hospital, from the cooks who refuse to cook, to the painters who couldn't care less to get their job done, to an African cannibalistic dictator (a la Amin Dada) whom demonstrators want expelled from the hospital and tried, will contribute to making HRH's visit (and Mick Travis's life) a true nightmare.

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Plot Keywords:

hospital | frankenstein's monster | british renaissance | ignorance | futurism | 

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Taglines:

An outrageous institution

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 May 1982 (UK)

Also Known As:

Anderson's Britannia Hospital

Filming Locations:

Lee International Studios, Wembley, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Lion Film Corporation,EMI Films,Film and General Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Actor Leonard Rossiter and director Lindsay Anderson previously had worked together on This Sporting Life (1963) about nineteen years earlier.

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Goofs

At 02:40, the nurse puts her cape on twice.

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Quotes

General Wetherby: I didn't have 50 years in India to end up bedding down with a lot of wogs!

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Crazy Credits

Fulton Mackay's character was billed as Chief Superintendant; the correct spelling is Superintendent.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Pieces (2011)

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Soundtracks

RULE BRITANNIA
Sung by Gillian Knight
Arranged and conducted by Derek Wadsworth

User Reviews

shocking satire about world collapse

Lindsay Anderson was several years ago one of my favourite directors and then, 5 years ago, I thought that this film is possible his best. Since then I saw again Britannia Hospital at least five times - and it didn't worked always - in contrast Anderson's If..., which is better and better with every watching. However, Britannia Hospital is still a very good film, but its content maybe too disturbing for a lot of viewers. I mean, not only its details (for example, eating pieces of brain, by the way, didn't Hannibal - the movie - discover it), but the consequences of the whole film. This film's dark and painful thoughts about mankind and our future are very frightening, because they - if we can face it - almost (or entirely?) the reality. Although Lindsay Anderson's satire is focused on Britannia Hospital, where the most of the plot plays, this parabolic form is about the whole world: from the poor people to the rich, from the caretaker to the mad scientist. Britannia Hospital is full of moments of horror and black comedy (namely its subplot is parody/paraphraze of Frankenstein-story), but its strongest parts are when its laughing (or crying) on the figures of government and other leaders (the master of BH, the main strikers, even the Queen). The solution is Britannia Hospital - in a paradox way - there is no solution for mankind. Maybe the speech of the professor at the end is a little didactic, but at same time quite honest; but not he has the last world in the film. For those who have already seen this film, it is known, what I'm talking about; for those who are going to see BH, let it be a surprise. It's unforgettable, but extremely sad moment: a shocking last shot to Britannia Hospital.