The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 1, 2018

While he’s taken on the vast subjects of baseball, the Vietnam and Civil War, and jazz, documentarian Ken Burns goes very specific for “The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science.” Joined by co-directors Christopher Loren Ewers and Erik Ewers, Burns delves into the history and philosophy of the “miracle in the corn field,” creating a two-hour-long understanding of perhaps the most celebrated medical institution in the world, which sits in small town Minnesota. “The Mayo Clinic” is as professionally assembled as the rest of Burns’s work, deftly piecing together an overview of the hospital and its influence on the medical community, but it’s also a profound summary of human potential and compassion. Burns isn’t providing a cold read of facts, instead weaving together the particulars of progress while reinforcing what makes the facility so respected and successful, sending the work out into the world to remind the viewing audience that something other than a complete submission to profit can work in the healthcare industry.

Mayo Clinic is a complex network of medical professionals and researchers, currently employing 64,000 people who work daily to maintain the company’s regal position as the go-to hospital for treatment. “The Mayo Clinic” traces the long road to such an exalted position, beginning with the tale of William Worrall Mayo, a young man who traveled from England to America to begin a new life, using gifts honed as a tailor to enter medicine, which at this point, in the 1800s, was still in the dark ages, lacking a structure of education and understanding to combat illness and injury. It was William’s relocation to Rochester, Minnesota that changed everything, opening a practice defined by its personal service and growing understanding of treatment, building a name for himself in the community. The Mayo legacy was born in 1883, when a massive tornado destroyed Rochester, requiring medical care on a massive scale, connecting William with the Sisters of Saint Francis, who permitted use of their building to help find patients a bed. It was Mother Alfred who made a handshake deal with William to help support the construction of a hospital, giving life to what was then known as Saint Mary’s Hospital.

The production digs into William’s philosophy of care, keeping himself open for patients day and night, while those who couldn’t pay didn’t, keeping healthcare open for all who needed it. During the St. Mary’s period of growth, William was joined by his sons, Will and Charlie, who were born into the business, joining their father in the operating room at a very young age. “The Mayo Clinic” follows the boys as they grow into men, joined by strong wives and destined to take over the hospital, bringing with them an interest in new technology and development of sterilization procedures, helping to secure lives during a time when a trip to the hospital with a death sentence.

William eventually retired out of the profession, leaving Will and Charlie to take command of the Mayo name, working with the nuns to create a place where medicine could be experienced, not just practiced, with the world soon catching on to the siblings and their sterling reputation in the field, attracting attention from other doctors and working on a growing list of patients from around the world, necessitating a few hospital moves over the decades, giving what was eventually rebranded Mayo Clinic a chance to meet the needs of the many. The helmers examine just what Will and Charlie’s influence was, creating a harmonious balance of faith and science with the nuns, while welcoming collaborations with others, using time to travel, picking up techniques and refining their vision as Mayo Clinic continued to expand.

Shared throughout “The Mayo Clinic” are testimonials from patients, some of them still undergoing treatment for their ailments. Hearing these stories is key to the viewing experience, with most shocked by the level of care found at Mayo Clinic, going from distracted doctors to the team- based mentality of the staff (who are salaried to prevent billing abuse), subjected to an organization that’s devoted to exploring and innovation, with one little girl receiving proton therapy to attack a brain tumor. The most interesting case of the bunch belongs to Roger Frisch, a violinist with the Minnesota Orchestra. Finding his instrument control wrecked by developing tremors, Frisch found his way to Mayo Clinic, with his doctor using deep brain stimulation to help mute the physical disruptions, literally giving the musician a button to silence his tremors. What’s even more amazing is that there’s footage of his brain surgery, where he played the violin during the operation, helping to pinpoint when the procedure was working.

The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation remains in line with other releases from Ken Burns. Detail is strong throughout, pulling out textures on paper and medical equipment, while interviewees are surveyed in full, with nice, tight close-ups capturing aging and expressions of concern. Colors are exact, with distinct primaries for clothing and modern visits to the hospital and the surrounding community. Older photos and footage display bright whites and inky blacks. Some banding is found with file footage showcasing violent weather, but it's mild and brief.

The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix leads with narration, finding the warm but authoritative voice of Peter Coyote commanding the listening event, while other actors add flavor to diary entries and personal correspondence. Interviews are crisp and emotionally available, providing a precise understanding of thought as difficult topics are dissected. Scoring is delicate and supportive, securing sharp instrumentation, including distinct piano-based moods. Sound effects are evocative, with hospital movement and small town activity. Surrounds aren't fired up, but worked with subtle care. Low-end is sparse, but percussive weight is felt when necessary.

The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Destination Medicine, 1928" (1:21, HD) is a brief deleted scene covering the development of transportation to bring outsiders to rural Minnesota for treatment.

• Behind the Scenes Music Video (2:58, HD) offers a glimpse of the production effort, with images of narration being recorded (including Tom Hanks) and the crew out in the wild gathering footage for the documentary.

• Additional Patient Stories (all HD) include "Kenneth Brown, Attica, Indiana" (4:27), "Jered Chinnock, Tomah, Wisconsin" (3:28), "Jett Young & Family, Minneapolis, Minnesota" (4:57), and "Mary McArton Belcher, Saskatchewan, Canada" (2:07).

The Mayo Clinic: Faith, Hope, Science Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Mayo Clinic" inspects many of the discoveries made over the last century, including the creation of a pathology lab next to operating rooms, permitting an immediate assessment of tissue. While triumphs are noted, and a few celebrity interviewees are assembled (including the Dali Lama, Tom Brokaw, and John McCain), failures aren't ignored, with Mayo Clinic's troubling history with the employment of people of color inspected, and death is a reality for every treatment and surgical effort, keeping the medical professionals emotional as they describe how they go about their daily business. "The Mayo Clinic" is another documentary triumph for Burns and Co., gracefully communicating in this day and age of predatory healthcare how this specific system works, with a foundation of compassion, respect, intelligence, and common sense helping to support a hospital born out of a single need: to provide care for those who need it.