Norman Bethune: his contributions to medicine and to CMAJ.

T his month marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Norman Bethune's death. A new movie about his life, the most expensive Canadian film ever made, will soon be in the theatres. It was to have been released earlier, but there are reports it has been delayed by a script-related battle involving the lead actor, Donald Sutherland, and one of the writers, Ted Allan. Allan served with Bethune during the Spanish Civil War and coauthored the first Bethune biography.' It should surprise no one that anything connected with Norman Bethune sparks heated discussion. The man thrived on controversy and to this day he remains something of an enigma, a man whose place in history is still being debated and defined. The Chinese have an immense respect for him, as shown in this tribute written by Mao Tse-tung: "Comrade Bethune's spirit, his utter devotion to others without any thought of self, was shown in his boundless sense of responsibility in his work and in his boundless warm-heartedness towards all comrades and the people. ... We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him."2 Opinion on this side of the Pacific is more divided. Some remember him as an enthusiastic and gifted teacher, a benefactor to the poor, a battler against social injustice, and a brilliant surgical innovator whose skills