**Film Review: "The Citadel" (1938)**

In 1938, MGM brought to the silver screen *The Citadel*, a black-and-white adaptation of A.J. Cronin’s acclaimed novel published just a year prior. Directed by the distinguished King Vidor and filmed in the United Kingdom, the movie garnered significant critical acclaim, winning Best Picture from the National Board of Review and the New York Film Critics Circle. Despite four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, it ultimately left the ceremony without a win — a near-miss that speaks more to the competition of the year than to the film’s inherent quality.

**Synopsis**  

The story follows Andrew Manson, a young, idealistic doctor portrayed with heartfelt sincerity by Robert Donat. Upon graduating from medical school, Manson is assigned to a struggling mining town in Wales. With earnest dedication, he engages with the miners and townsfolk, confronting the harsh realities of public health and labor conditions.  

The film's first half is a vivid portrait of youthful passion clashing with systemic indifference; Manson’s growing suspicion regarding the miners' chronic cough leads him into conflict with entrenched interests, ultimately forcing his departure from the community.  

The second half depicts his descent into complacency and moral compromise as he pursues success in London’s medical establishment — a Faustian bargain that leads to a profound personal reckoning. Although the film remains largely faithful to Cronin’s original work, the inevitable abridgments leave certain nuances of the novel regrettably unexplored.

**Cast and Performances**  

Robert Donat’s nuanced portrayal of Manson captures the idealism and subsequent disillusionment of the character with remarkable grace. Although not a household name today, Donat would later receive the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in *Goodbye, Mr. Chips*.  

Rex Harrison, who appears as Dr. Frederick Lawford — Manson’s morally compromised former classmate — was then only 30 years old, making one of his earliest film appearances. Harrison’s later triumph as Professor Higgins in *My Fair Lady* (1964), for which he earned an Oscar, would cement his place in cinematic history.  

Rosalind Russell brings strength and intelligence to her role as Manson’s wife, crafting a character reminiscent of Maureen O’Hara’s miner’s daughter in *How Green Was My Valley* (1941). Ralph Richardson also offers a memorable supporting turn as Dr. Denny, foreshadowing his later role as Alexander in *Doctor Zhivago*.

**On the Novel and Its Legacy**  

For decades, Cronin’s *The Citadel* has been revered as essential reading for medical professionals — a Western counterpart to Japan’s *The White Tower* (*Shiroi Kyotō*).  

Yet, for years, Japanese readers had limited access: after translations by Nōzō Nakamura (1955) and Michinosuke Takeuchi (1983), the novel fell out of print.  

A new, long-awaited translation by physician-author Sōsuke Natsukawa (*God’s Notebook*, *Spinoza’s Consultation Room*) was published last year, restoring this medical and literary classic to modern audiences. Given that Cronin himself was a doctor-turned-writer, Natsukawa’s translation feels particularly well-matched.

**Personal Reflections**  

My own father, dispatched from university to a mining town in Hokkaido in 1950, surely found resonance in Manson’s story. Amid the vibrant, booming mining industry, he devoted himself to improving public health — a mission no doubt inspired, at least in part, by *The Citadel*. Later, after relocating to Osaka following my mother’s illness, he established his own practice, perhaps seeing in Manson’s journey a mirror of his own.

**Conclusion**  

As contemporary Japan grapples anew with issues such as the uneven distribution of doctors and profit-driven medical practice, *The Citadel* remains as relevant as ever. Both the novel and its film adaptations offer timeless insights into the moral challenges faced by medical professionals.  

The original 1938 film can be found online (search *The Citadel 1938*), though regrettably without Japanese subtitles. A 2003 color adaptation, faithful to the spirit of the novel, is also available.  

The latest Japanese translation, published by Nikkei BP, is currently in print and available in both physical and Kindle editions — a fitting opportunity for new generations to discover a classic that has endured for nearly a century.