Something The Lord Made [2004]

Customer Reviews:

A remarkable film .......2008-03-10

This is a wonderful film reflecting the true lives of two very different men who go on to make medical history. Its a great film that reminds us that success is often a test if fortitude and endurance. Perhaps the best aspect of the film revolves around the friendship between the 2 main characters and their individual journeys to success. Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas are remarkable characters of history but its Vivien Thomas who perhaps is the real jewel in the crowm in this story. A must watch.

The beginning of a new era........2007-04-13

As described above, this film portrays the lives of two very unique yet similarly minded individuals on their quest for a scientific breakthrough. The film takes you on a journey not only through their accomplishments but also the hardships African American's were facing at the time, showing this perfectly with regards to the hurdles Vivien Thomas faced whilst working with his mentor turned colleague; Alfred Blalock.

Both Alan Rickman and Des Mof played their characters extremely well, the editing was great. I thought the film could have been slightly longer, condensing forty odd years into two hours does mean it's a bit rushed. However, despite that the directors and editors seem to have captured the essence of it all beautifully and it was a pleasure to watch.

I would particularly recommend this to fellow medical students. It's all well and good learning the theory and anatomy behind ventricular septal defects, but it's more fulfilling to take a step back from the textbooks and appreciate the history behind this epic research and treatment undertaken by these two very accomplished individuals. May their legacy live on.

Raheel Ahmed
Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Medical School.

A Truely Heartwarming Film.......2006-04-24

Just watched this film which was truely heartwarming, emotive and amazing.

I was born with a heart defect, so watching this film was even more poingnant. Would I be here had they not done what they did back then? Probably, however i may not be as well as i am now had they not carried out all that amazing work. They were way ahead of their time. Def & Rickman are a credit to the acting profession and both carry out their roles impeccebly. Definately a film to watch.

Something the Lord Made.......2006-03-07

Really great film, about pioneering heart surgery. As a blue baby myself, I know the benefits of this type of operation!

A great story of medical history.......2006-02-06

This is a great movie about a medical revolution and the relationship between the two man how made it going. They invented the new field of medicine, the heart surgery. But since the one was a black man (who even never visited a university) they couldn't share the victory as equals because of the segregation. This tests their collaboration and their friendship.

Boht of the leading actors do a great job, Alan Rickman (who would have doubted...) and Mos Def are realy authentic and expressive all the time. The story is quiet and full of interesting details, a nice piece of work. Not a single minute boredom.

Customer Reviews:

must see movie!!.......2007-09-06

Id never heard of this film and bought it after reading a review.
I loved it! Great acting by both leading men, AR did well with the accent. It also educated me about "blue babies" and the doctors behind these ground breaking procedures, in a time when racial equal opportunities were out of the question.
My only complaint was the speed in which the years passed, although i do understand the film makers have to condence a 25 year relasionship into a couple of hours, it seemed as soon as they met it jumped to 15 years later.
Anyway, all that said, we loved it, will watch it again and tell friends to watch it too! See if you can blink back the tears at the end!

Something Alan Rickman made - again.......2005-02-14

As soon as it was available via Amazon I ordered it. "Something the Lord Made" is a wonderful, quite emotional film with a brilliant Alan Rickman (as always) and a very convincing Mos Def, based on a true story. Working in Baltimore on an unprecedented technique for performing heart surgery on "blue babies" in the 1940s, Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman) and his lab technician Vivien Thomas (Mos Def/ who was actually his janitor first) form an impressive team. But even as they race against time to save a dying baby, the two protagonists occupy very different places in society. Blalock is the wealthy white Head of Surgery at John Hopkins hospital. Thomas, a skilled carpenter, is black and poor. He has lost all his savings in a bank crash and his dream to become a physician has been destroyed. Nevertheless, Blalock discovers Thomas' skills and talents and asks him to work with him. As Blalock and Thomas invent a new field of medicine, saving thousands of lives in the process, social pressures threaten to undermine their collaboration and to tear their friendship apart.
What a pity it wasn't for the movies...Just watch it!

UK DVD:

UK DVD List

UK DVD