Since it was first published in 1986, the historical novel “The Physician” has captivated millions of readers, especially in Germany and Spain. It tells the fascinating story of young Rob Cole, who makes his way from 11th century England to Persia to study medicine and become the “Physician” of the title. On Christmas Day, the movie based on the international bestseller opens in theaters – UFA Cinema’s biggest project to date. The film will also be shown in Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Russia, with other countries to follow. In the lead-up to the movie’s world premiere on 16 December in Berlin, the Editors form Bertelsmann spoke with Noah Gordon. In the interview Gordon discusses what the movie version, 27 years after the book was published in the United States, means for him and to what extent the subject matter of the film and the novel is still relevant.
How does it feel to know that “Der Medicus” (“The Physician”) will be opening in theaters soon? Did you even expect this to happen, so long after the novel was published? What role has the book played in your life, and what role does it currently play?
Noah Gordon: It is exciting to have a movie that springs, at least in part, from characters and situations conceived and born in my own mind. I have never had a yearning that my work would end up on the screen, nor any expectation, and certainly not 27 years after the publication of my novel. “The Physician” has played a major role in my career. The publication of the book in Germany and in Spain, and later in a host of other countries, brought an army of readers to my work and literally changed my life and the lives of my family. I still get emails every day from new and old readers of “The Physician”.
How were you approached about the idea of adapting the book for the screen? Were you involved in the making of the movie? And were there any details that you insisted should be included in the film version?
Noah Gordon: Several producers tried to develop the property as a film, and then its ownership reverted back to my children. I was content; it would have been fine with me if the movie never happened. Subsequently half a dozen producers came to Boston and attempted to buy the rights. We liked Wolf Bauer and Nico Hofmann, and my children, who owned the rights, sold them to UFA. I was not able to insist on anything. But I asked that the film be shot in English, and this was done.
Have you already seen the movie – and if so, what did you think?
Noah Gordon: The only viewing we had, in May, was from a rough cut that still lacked the film’s score and the many special effects. I agreed with my family members that the film is extremely interesting. The cast and acting are excellent and the movie quickly pulls the audience into the fascinating, seamy life of the Middle Ages.
What do you think makes the book so interesting for a screen adaptation?
Noah Gordon: When I began writing “The Physician”, the world was split by clashes between factions of the great religious cultures. We still had the memory of bloody war between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland, and between Sunnis and Shiites and Muslims and Jews in the Middle East. The story of the clash that led Christians and Muslims into the bloody Crusades, used as a background for the real friendships of three young medical students – a Christian, a Jew, and a Muslim – was a reminder of how little we have learned since the Middle Ages. And now, 27 years later, as the movie comes out, technology makes killing easier and more coldly efficient, and the message of good people transcending differences of faiths and politics to declare a separate peace is even more poignant and recognizable.
How do you feel about the fact that the movie will not initially be seen in English-speaking countries?
Noah Gordon: I know absolutely nothing about the business end of the movie industry. I trust that the producers and distributors have good reasons for their schedule, and I don’t fret about it.
Speaking of the English-speaking countries: Do you think the momentum generated by the movie will cause the book to be successfully re-published in the U.S. and the U.K.?
Noah Gordon: I think it will perhaps speed up a process that already is taking place. Books and ebooks are available here in editions that were published without fanfare or advertising. My emails from readers from all over the world tell a story that is part of a pattern which has become familiar: people read the book and quickly and warmly recommend it to others. The fact that the huge American market is largely untapped by “The Physician” makes it even more exciting when this widely read book gains more and more readers in my own country.
Is the screen adaptation of other books of yours planned?
Noah Gordon: There is interest but nothing that can be discussed at present.
What are you working on now? Will there be another epic novel by Noah Gordon? And what will it be about?
Noah Gordon: There will be no more long epics that take years to write. I have been working slowly on a novella. It is different from any of my other works. As for its subject matter, all my life I have had a fetish about not revealing the subject matter of any book until it is ready for publication. I have no desire to change that policy – but I thank you for your interest.
