The Fight: Science Against Cancer

I haven’t a scientific bone on my body, so am always amazed when I see documentaries like this that use some creations straight out of science fiction and microscopes showing us the tiniest of cells to explain just how our bodies function. Or don’t! This film tries to rudimentarily explain just what cancer is, how it spreads, how it destroys and how scientists around the world are trying to understand what it is and how it might be treated. This is obviously a bit of a “Janet and John” exercise, but I think that helps by not bamboozling us with Latin or technological terminology and just keeping it simple. At times it does come across as slightly dramatised: there are a few thoughtful poses to camera from the doctors that look a bit rehearsed, and you might also want to beware because it doesn’t shy away from demonstrating the role of vivisection in much of their investigations, though not graphically. By the end we get a sense of just how difficult their challenge is going to be and though it is a bit dry, it’s still an informative watch.