The Citadel mirrors the socialistic yearnings of Capra-type films llke Its a Wonderful Life. And like films such as Its a Wonderful Liife, what appears to be clear-cut decisions and resolvable situations are not that clear-cut and resolvable in real life. The Citadel clearly shows what happens when you choose the path of social benefit over monetary concerns; and Hollywood would like us to believe that all will turn out well in the end. Well, life does not work that way. After the good doctor is most likely banned from the medical community at the end of the film, he will most likely suffer severe economic difficulties at the least, and may face more problems, such as job satisfaction, in the future as well. Ethical choices in life are seldom black and white; there are several areas of gray, and thr film is a very good example of that. There is no reason in the world that the good doctor could not have contributed a portion of his time for pro bono research, while maintaining his cushy situation in London. Instead, Hollywood sets up an either/or situation where one must be totally committed to one or the other lifestyle. The only ones who should be committed,as far as I am concerned, are the Hollywood producers who try to enforce their ideas and will on the American public by making them feel guilty about compromising in their lives. Life is compromise; when that practice is abandoned, one sees why we have a divorce rate of over 50%. An entertaining film, nevertheless.
Review of The Citadel
