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6.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Men in White remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you're a big fan of vintage hospital dramas or just really want to see Clark Gable looking stressed in a white coat. If you prefer your movies to have a bit of humor or actual pacing, you might want to skip it.
It feels like one of those old studio pictures where everyone is trying very hard to be serious, but the stakes just don't land like they're supposed to. Seriously, the hospital drama here feels more like a stage play than a movie, which makes sense given the source material.
Gable is, well, Gable. He tries to be this tortured, idealistic surgeon who just wants to save lives, but he mostly just comes off as a guy who needs to learn how to call his girlfriend back. His dedication to the profession is so intense it's actually kind of annoying to watch.
There is this one scene in the operating room—I won't spoil it—that feels like it drags on for a lifetime. You can practically hear the director yelling at the extras to stay still in the background. Someone keeps adjusting their mask in a way that’s super distracting, and once you notice it, you can't stop staring.
It makes me think of Imitation of Life, which was doing way more interesting things with its melodrama around the same time. While that movie felt like it had a pulse, Men in White feels like it's already under anesthesia.
It’s not a bad film, really. It’s just very… earnest. It wants you to care so much about these career choices, but I found myself looking at the clock more than the screen. Maybe it’s better than Dancing Dynamite, but that’s not exactly a high bar to clear. 🙄
Sometimes you just want a movie to breathe a little. This one is too busy checking its own pulse to let that happen.
