The Physician (2013)

In Persia in the 11th Century, a surgeon's apprentice disguises himself as a Jew to study at a school that does not admit Christians.

Director:

Philipp Stölzl

Writers:

Noah Gordon (based on the novel by), Jan Berger (screenplay by)

Stars:

Tom Payne, Stellan Skarsgård, Olivier Martinez

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Payne	...	Rob Cole
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Barber
Olivier Martinez	...	Shah Ala ad Daula
Emma Rigby	...	Rebecca
Elyas M'Barek	...	Karim
Fahri Yardim	...	Davout Hossein
Makram Khoury	...	Imam (as Makram J. Khoury)
Michael Marcus	...	Mirdin
Ben Kingsley	...	Ibn Sina
Stanley Townsend	...	Bar Kappara
Emil Marwa	...	Tuveh Ben Meir
Martin Hancock	...	Merlin
Adam Thomas Wright	...	Rob Cole (10 Years) (as Adam Wright)
Jodie McNee	...	Agnes Cole
Dominique Moore	...	Despina

Storyline

When nine-year-old Rob Cole felt the life force slipping from his mother's hand he could not foresee that this terrifying awareness of impending death was a gift that would lead him from the familiar life of 11th-century London to small villages throughout England and finally to the medical school at Ispahan. Though apprenticed to an itinerant barber surgeon, it is the dazzling surgery of a Jewish physician trained by the legendary Persian physician Avicenna that inspires him to accept his gift and to commit his life to healing by studying at Avicenna's school. Despite the ban on Christian students, Rob goes there, disguising himself as a Jew to gain admission. Gordon has written an adventurous and inspiring tale of a quest for medical knowledge pursued in a violent world full of superstition and prejudice.

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Plot Keywords:

medicine | middle ages | persia | journey | muslim | 

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Taglines:

A journey out of darkness into light

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violent content, sexuality/nudity and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan]

Country:

Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 December 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

El médico

Filming Locations:

Morocco

Box Office

Budget:

$36,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

UFA Fiction,ARD Degeto Film,Beta Cinema

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min 119 min (cut theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the West, Ibn Sinna is referred to as Avicenna. He is renowned as a foundational figure in the history of medicine.

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Goofs

When Rob Cole is approaching Dover and the camera pans the coastal scenery from the sea looking inland, a range of high mountains is seen behind the Cliffs of Dover. No such mountains or high hills are present. Further, the iconic "White Cliffs" are depicted as grey and dark rock rather than as the white chalk from which they are actually composed .

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Quotes

[first lines]
Barber: [performing for a crowd] Back and forth, up and down, left to right, for more than one hundred years. But nowhere have I had the pleasure of looking out upon a crowd with prettier girls than here in your wonderful Rough Dovender. Why do I specially like it here because... I always lay me best eggs here.
Barber: [starts imitating a chicken, then produces an egg]

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Alternate Versions

German TV version runs approx. 30 minutes longer.

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Soundtracks

Amor es Aquella Cosa
Lyrics by Schirin Partowi
Music Composed by Ingo Frenzel and Schirin Partowi
Performed by Schirin Partowi
Orchestra: Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg

User Reviews

Well shot and acted, not very true to the original story.

While this movie is well acted and beautifully shot, there are so many departures from the original story that I couldn't help feeling a little let down. It's true that to include everything written by Noah Gordon would require a mini-series (which would have been a good idea) , there are a number of things that gave the story more depth that could easily have been included. An accurate account of where Rob J Cole was born would have been a good start.

Despite these omissions The Physician is still a good watch.

For those who question the truth of this title, it's fiction, total fiction.