Medicine Man

Storyline

Medicine Man, An eccentric scientist working for a large drug company is working on a research project in the Amazon jungle. He sends for a research assistant and a gas chromatograph because he’s close to a cure for cancer. When the assistant turns out to be a “mere woman”, he rejects her help. Meanwhile, the bulldozers get closer to the area in which they are conducting research, and they eventually learn to work together, and begin to fall in love.

Superb Score, Superb Movie

Medicine Man, I’ve never understood why this movie is so poorly received. Sure, Lorraine Bracco is a bit shrill. No one said she came from a “high class” family, just that she was marrying well. My sister-in-law is a scientist with NIH and she came from humble roots. That Bracco got through to the tribe’s medicine man when Connery had failed was the contrast between the two approaches the “white man” could make toward the natives. Bracco’s negotiating skills and stubborn common sense contrasted nicely with Connery’s unintentionally patronizing approach. Who COULD have been cast who would have been more convincing as the “civilized” woman “going native”. Lauren Hutton, maybe. The solution to the mystery of “compound 37” was a genuine surprise, even though it was partially revealed on two separate occasions. The climax was intensely dramatic, ironic and sad; though, it too helped usher in the satisfying conclusion. Jerry Goldsmith’s superb score raises what is already an outstanding movie. I don’t care about anyone else’s opinion. For me, “Medicine Man” is a “10”.

I decided to watch this movie thinking I would love watching it. And rightly so, it re-awakened the spirit of an amazing journey I never had or I might never be able to have.

“Life is strange, but down here it seems very precious.”

Truly precious this life, Im glad at least I chose to watch this. Instead of just living in the cancerous tavern of greed and ambition to just succeed and further decreasing standards to just survive and calling it progress, our lives have been literally transformed by the hunt for unwanted unknown progress which can never provide fulfillment to our souls.

Steptoe & Son