Throwing stones at people may catch peoples attention but it's almost certainly not going to make you friends or further your career; a shame that young, talented director Linday Anderson never realized this, and that "Britannia Hospital" virtually obliterated his livelihood.
For many viewers – especially those English viewers being stereotypically depicted – the film was too vitriolic to be truly funny. Imagine an episode of "Carry On", directed by a misanthropist with an utter hate for the characters he's depicting. Indeed, apart from the coloured nurse, we do not get a single character that's amiable vaguely sympathetic. Corrupt, corruptible, greedy, self-indulgent, insane even, from the working-class buffoon to the cannibalistic African dictator – to the last person.
Is the movie funny? Well, as said, you'll need a certain level of cynicism, nihilism and misanthropy – I dare say, you need to see things as they truly are in order to fully appreciate the humour. You'd have to believe in the general rottenness of society and humanity as such and still be capable to crack a laugh.
If you're familiar with comic-books, you're likely familiar with the "Watchmen" comic-book, which has a character, the Comedian, state that: "Life is a joke – but it's not necessarily a funny joke." Get's 8 points from 10 from me.
For many viewers – especially those English viewers being stereotypically depicted – the film was too vitriolic to be truly funny. Imagine an episode of "Carry On", directed by a misanthropist with an utter hate for the characters he's depicting. Indeed, apart from the coloured nurse, we do not get a single character that's amiable vaguely sympathetic. Corrupt, corruptible, greedy, self-indulgent, insane even, from the working-class buffoon to the cannibalistic African dictator – to the last person.
Is the movie funny? Well, as said, you'll need a certain level of cynicism, nihilism and misanthropy – I dare say, you need to see things as they truly are in order to fully appreciate the humour. You'd have to believe in the general rottenness of society and humanity as such and still be capable to crack a laugh.
If you're familiar with comic-books, you're likely familiar with the "Watchmen" comic-book, which has a character, the Comedian, state that: "Life is a joke – but it's not necessarily a funny joke." Get's 8 points from 10 from me.