AAIFF: “Transplant” Chases Perfection
The aphorism “perfect is the enemy of good” is widely attributed to Winston Churchill, but its roots date back to Voltaire and an Italian proverb. The expression also popped up in Shakespeare’s King Lear and in Aristotle’s writing. All this to say, the idea of chasing perfection has been around for a very long time. This impossible quest is at the center of Jason Park’s Transplant. The film, which is playing as part of the 48th Asian American International Film Festival, is like Whiplash in the operating room, a taut medical thriller of sorts that is relentless in its quest for perfection.
When it comes to medical procedures, both the patient and the doctor are likely hoping for perfection. No one wants a botched surgery to make their ailments worse. Jonah (Eric Nam) is a surgical resident who is very by-the-book and methodical. Everything you want in a doctor. Jonah is highly motivated for his own goals, but also to make his mother (Michelle Okkyung Lee) and deceased father proud. His goal is to work with a legendary heart transplant surgeon named Dr. Harmon (Bill Camp). When that opportunity arises, however, Jonah begins to understand that his obsession with perfection comes at a price.
courtesy of Transplant
With a film like Whiplash, it’s almost easier to think this quest for perfection is inherently flawed. No one dies if you can’t keep the tempo of a song on your drum set, but to become great at something artistic you have to almost treat it that way. You have to be deeply serious about your craft because if you’re not, why are you doing it? It’s a little more difficult to write off the quest for perfection that’s present in Transplant, because someone could die if you’re not perfect. Maybe “perfect” isn’t the right word. Can medical care actually just be great? Is that enough for the people who are being treated?
In Transplant, it’s less about being perfect and more about the perception of never committing an error. Camp imbues Dr. Harmon with an evil sense of superiority, the belief that he’s almost godlike because of his ability to transplant human hearts. In a sense, it is a miraculous feat, but what makes Camp’s portrayal so unsettling is the way he masks this obsession in what appears to be proper doctoral care. That’s more damaging than an outright quest to be the best of the best because there’s a large part of Dr. Harmon that believes his actions are justified. That his violent outbursts, his manipulation of power, and his general recklessness are excusable because of what he’s capable of.
courtesy of Transplant
When a patient sues the hospital for care provided by Dr. Harmon and Jonah, the hospital director, Dr. Marks (April Grace), asks to speak to Jonah by himself. She has heard the stories of people who have worked with Dr. Harmon and wants to steer Jonah away from following in his footsteps. Dr. Marks tells Jonah, “uncontrolled ambition is a killer.” Transplant is a warning for young people like Jonah who are on the path to success. When the film begins, Jonah is level-headed. He’s a quiet guy who wants to make sure people are getting the care they need and deserve. The more time he spends with Dr. Harmon, the more Harmon’s ways of going about things seeps into Jonah’s attitude. Suddenly, his temper is shorter, he’s bolder, and he jumps to conclusions without thinking things through. Jonah becomes unrecognizable by the end of Transplant, and that’s why the film exists. To show the insidious way perfection, obsession, and an inflated, Godlike sense of self can grow within someone without them ever realizing it.
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