DVD REVIEW

Coma

HBO Home Video || Not Rated || Jan 29, 2008

Synopsis

This film goes inside The Center for Head Injuries at JFK Medical Center to explore the mystery of coma and traumatic brain injury. It is estimated that traumatic brain injury affects more Americans each year than breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS and spinal cord injury combined. Coma focuses on the stories of four patients, following them over the course of one year, and the critical window for recovery.


Critique

Call me shallow, but I just don’t find documentaries like Coma terribly interesting or uplifting or entertaining or stimulating. I’m sure that makes me sound like Barbara Bush, not wanting to cloud my beautiful mind with thought of things like traumatic brain injury. At the same time, Coma will give you respect for the doctors who work in this field. Progress seems to come slowly or not at all. I think I would feel like nothing was ever accomplished.

Talking about comas and vegetative states and levels of consciousness is bound to bring the name Terry Schiavo to mind. In 2005 there was a public, highly politicized debate about whether or not to let her die. She had been in a persistent vegetative state for 15 years. A persistent vegetative state is essentially wakefulness without awareness. There is a case not unlike this in Coma, a man named Al’Khan (not exactly the image the Republican party would use to galvanize its base). Al’Khan has been in the hospital for some time, and his doctor eventually recommends a DNR. It is one of the hardest scenes in the film to watch. The doctor tells Al’Khan’s loved one that he is not there, and he probably never will be.

The complexities of the issue are shown over and over, and we start to see coma, and the varying degrees of vegetative states the patients are in as varying degrees of brain death. Of the four patients we see in Coma, one dies, one needs constant care, and two are able to leave the hospital but will both need extensive therapy. “Recovery” is relative.

Coma won’t put a smile on your face, but it will open you up to a medical issue that is frighteningly common.


Video

Coma is presented in the original full frame format. This is a shot-on-video documentary, and that’s exactly what it looks like. The picture has no major flaws.


Audio

This DVD is presented in Dolby 2.0. There are many quiet moments in the film, and they are presented here without any hissing or ambient noise. The levels are clear and well balanced.


Special Features

The Case of Willie Hicks: the story of a fifth patient that was not included in the documentary itself. This feels abridged, which is odd because Willie seems to make the most progress of all five patients.


Final Thoughts

Coma is an interesting documentary, but it’s hard to recommend unless you have an interest in this specific topic. It is insightful and eye opening, but it’s not exactly entertaining. If you’re looking for something about traumatic brain injury, this is for you. If you’re looking for something about medical miracles achieved against the odds, look elsewhere. Awakenings this ain’t.

VERDICT: RENT IT

 

Subscribe to DVD Reviews Feed

 

Review posted on Mar 16, 2008 | Share this article | Top of Page

Copyright © 1999-infinity MovieFreak.com