Drama,Horror,Comedy,Science Fiction
United Kingdom
Britannia Hospital is a dark and satirical film directed by the legendary British filmmaker, Lindsay Anderson. It is the third in a trilogy of films featuring the character Mick Travis, played by Malcolm McDowell.
The film is set on the anniversary of Britannia Hospital, a prestigious institution that is marking its achievements with a visit from the Queen Mother. But as the day unfolds, it becomes apparent that the hospital is in chaos. Mick Travis, a reporter for a national newspaper, arrives to cover the event and discovers a range of problems affecting the hospital and its staff.
These problems include a nurses' strike, violent protests from left-wing activists, a group of racist aristocrats who want to close the hospital, and sinister experiments being conducted by the hospital's director, Dr. Millar (played by Graham Crowden).
The film takes a dark and often grotesque turn when a delegation of African diplomats arrives, led by a cruel and ruthless dictator (played by Leonard Rossiter). The dictator is in Britannia Hospital to witness the unveiling of a newly discovered creature that is half-human and half-animal. This creature is revealed to be the result of Dr. Millar's experiments, which have involved injecting human embryos with animal DNA.
As the chaos escalates, Mick Travis becomes increasingly disillusioned with the hospital and the society it represents. The film ends with a shocking and surreal sequence in which Mick is transformed into a bird and flies away from the hospital, leaving behind the chaos and corruption of modern Britain.
Overall, Britannia Hospital is a dark and disturbing film that uses satire to critique British society in the 1980s. It features strong performances from a talented cast and is directed with great skill and vision by Lindsay Anderson.
