At a time, when the era of so called "New Hollywood" emerged from its ruins with movies like "Jaws (1975)" by Steven Spielberg as well as "Star Wars (1977)" by George Lucas to fill auditoriums in U.S. movie houses, a movie directed by novelist Michael Crichton misses the consideration period for best picture in the year 1977 by a week, releasing on Januar 6th 1978. The single producer Martin Erlichman clearly had the hardest time to fight through MGM's bureaucracy, unable to deliver on suggested deadline December 31st 1977 to be illegible for consideration, "Coma" presented Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer fell flat to find its audience. For one of Hollywood's major studio, it rang the bell of a final round of missed endeavors to be of matter again on a steady emerging international market, just before raising more than 40,000,000 U.S. Dollars to lift Michael Cimino's "Heaven's Gate" out of dust for a considerable release on November 19th 1980. By then it was to late, the studio must sell its library to Warner Bros. Pictures, arguable suffering from the overthrown finances to this very day. My article shines a light on devious financial practices in a system, which still is occupied by fear of losing everything, so to say the house, the car, the dining and college-education for the kids. "Coma" clearly cuts a nerve as a medical thriller, which utilizes exact medical termini to advances inside out Boston memorial hospital residents to drive through a story of social conspiracy, which challenges the specter's senses. A chef of surgery, played by Richard Widmark, who deliberately puts healthy patients in a coma by fraud anesthesia to sell their organs to the highest international bidder, is in deed an inconvenient spine for the audience a bitter pill to swallow. The character of Dr. Susan Wheeler embarks of detective-like journey to uncover conspicuous malpractice of chef resident Dr. Harris by penetrating the whole everyday apparatus of Boston Memorial Hospital, triggered by her friend's death in standard abortion procedure in notorious Operation Room (OR8), where Carbon Monoxid runs through the anesthetics pimp-line to cut oxygen from potential illegal donor patient's brain as two pathology residents, played by Richard Burton and an early Ed Harris, so explained to Dr. Wheeler. From that point, Director Michael Crichton keeps tight track of his movie's suspense frequency in the best Hitchcockean manner, which has his supremacy in a 13.5 Minutes chase sequence, pushing Bujold's character from the hospital's cellar, through corridors into an teaching amphitheater to a freeing chamber of prepped corpses. Only once the audience is allowed to take a holiday from arresting scenario, when Susan & Mark take a weekend off at upstate New England before the sequence gets broken off by Susan's continuing detective work at Jefferson Institute, where Elizabeth Ashley plays the executing manager Mrs. Emerson, who coordinates the fast-paced donor organs sell-outs in a chilling performance, which builds reminiscences towards the character of Mrs. Danvers in "Rebecca (1940)". Unfortunately, after exposing Avantgarde production design by Albert Brenner in the name- given Coma chamber under ultraviolet light sources, some shots fall flat, due to badly prepared make-up effects, for example a illegal kidney extraction, cameo character Sam Murphy, played by Pre-Magnum Tom Selleck. Jerry Goldsmith's score does its finest to keep the tension screw going until Dr. Susan Wheeler escapes on top of a ambulance car.The screenplay had been precisely-adapted by Michael Crichton from a best-seller novel written by Robin Cook. Suspense, pace and character's beat structure work well with the occasionally lack of a cinematographic vision in scene transitions, before the ending concludes sophisticated entertainment in an arresting and claustrophobic atmosphere, which might have been too specialized for an audience of the 70s, which were clearly occupied with Vietnam war aftermath in the U.S. and terror activism in Europe. For a globalized world from today, where the international relations stretch from overplayed to non-existent and the majority of occidental society wrestling with their existence in an fast- paced and fluid world. "Coma" brings up a controversial ethical topic of how to handle the individuals in prolonging life stretches and steady-growing world population.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (note: revised and edited article from June 9th 2017)

Coma is a medical drama about the scary side of the medical profession, the what if this could happen. It still makes the hairs on my neck stand up, one of Crichton's scariest films.The movie takes place at Boston General hospital. The two main characters, Michael Douglas(Dr. Mark Bellows) and Genevieve Bujold( Dr. Susan Wheeler). The two doctor's have a rocky relationship. They love each other, but they can get on each others nerves. Dr. Wheeler is a doctor who is smart and doesn't get the respect from some of her colleagues , because she's female.One day her best friend, Nancy Greenly goes in for a simple procedure, but does not wake up. She is in a Coma, on life support. When Wheeler finds out she is devastated, she wonders what went wrong? She is so upset she tells Mark, he explains to her that something must of happened with the anesthesia. At first you don't know if Bellows is on her side or not, because he doesn't seem that concerned. Then when another patient comes in for knee surgery, Sean Murphy(Tom Selleck) the same thing happens to him. Wheeler does some investigating, and finds out the two surgeries were done in OR 8. It gets around to Dr. Harris( Richard Windmark) about her snooping and she needs to drop it. In order to keep her position at the hospital she must also see a hospital psychiatrist. She is also warned by Bellows and this starts to put a strain on him , and his promotion. Bellow explains that these are powerful people, especially Dr. George(Rip Torn); the head of anesthesiology.She ignores the advice and finds out these coma patients are taken to The Jefferson Institute. A center for long-term coma care, among other things.One day Mark and Susan go away for the weekend, upon returning they pass The Jefferson Institute. Once there Wheeler is already suspicious. There she meets the nurse( Elizabeth Ashley). Susan believe she is getting closer to the truth and the answer lies her at the institute. She also thinks Mark is involved which really drives her into more hysteria. She learns that people are deliberately being put into comas. The next day one of the custodians approaches her, and tells her how they do it. When she goes back to the hospital to find out the mystery, she realizes she is being followed. The fixer( Lance Legault) chases her though out the hospital. She discovers the custodian has been killed, and how they are putting people in coma's. she is getting closer to the truth because of the looks she gets in the doctor' lounge especially by Dr. George. He dislikes her because she independent and nosy. She doesn't know who to trust, that day she arrives at the institute for the tour. Once there she finds out everything, the Jefferson Institute is a front. They are really harvesting and selling human organs to the highest bidder all over the world. Wheeler's next step is to find out who is behind it. Once back at the hospital She and Dr. Harris have a discussion about it. He is the the one who is behind it; and wheeler doesn't realize this until he tries to kill her. He schedules an unnecessary surgery, telling the other staff it's her appendix. He will try to kill her while making it look like an anesthesia reaction. When Mark arrives he doesn't think anything of it until Dr. Harris demands OR 8. It will be up to Mark to try and save her before it's to late.Coma is a classic suspenseful medical thriller. When I had my first surgery in 1998, all I could think of was this movie. We all think doctor's would do their best, when our lives are in their hands. COMA shows the dark side of the medical profession, that we hope never will happen. A great film I would recommend to anyone, a true classic.THX, Kris L. CocKayne

Dr. Susan Wheeler (Geneviève Bujold) and Dr. Mark Bellows (Michael Douglas) are resident surgeons in Boston Memorial Hospital and are living together. Her friend is a patient who falls into a coma after surgery. There has been a series of comas in the hospital. Susan starts investigating and stepping on many toes. Mark plays politics and is pressured to reel in his girlfriend. Susan discovers that all the comas come from one operating room and the patients get transferred to Jefferson Institute for long term care.Michael Crichton directs and adapts the novel by Robin Cook. It's got some very good paranoia thriller vibe during the second half. The first half can be a grind. Crichton is not the best at pushing the pace when the story isn't at its most intense. He could have had some help. Geneviève is not always the most animated actor. Her investigation could have been more compelling. It is an interesting movie with a great twist.

Coma is one of the greatest films of all times. Robin Cook is such a wonderful writer. His years of training as a physician makes for an intriguing plot and non-stop action. This movie still evokes a visceral response. The movie is captivating from the opening scene until the end. This complex movie is both captivating and action packed. I still watch the movie at least once a year. I love all the characters and find Dr. George just as great today as in 1978. This move is a must see in my opinion. Great lines and unforgettable scenes will make this a favorite for many people for years to come. Coma is one of my favorite films and Mr. Douglas played the part so well. Wonderful movie in 78 and in 2014.