And The Band Played On
A threat no one dared face. A word no one wanted to speak. A fight for many, fought by few.
From Randy Shilts' bestseller comes a powerful, enlightening and moving chronicle of our times. In the summer of 1981, few knew of the deadly disease we now call AIDS. And the Band Played On follows the struggle of a handful of strong-willed men and women who took on the fight to save lives.
Matthew Modine stars as Dr. Don Francis, a researcher at the Centers for Disease Control who seeks to uncover the cause of a number of mysterious deaths. With little funding for a subject few will even discuss, not only must he fight the disease, but a disinterested public, the government, the media and even the communities where the mysterious virus strikes hardest. But as the death toll mounts, public interest is stirred and Francis' research becomes a desperate race against time.
Featuring Alan Alda, Phil Collins, Richard Gere, Anjelica Huston, Steve Martin, Ian McKellen, Lily Tomlin, Glenne Headly, Swoosie Kurtz, Richard Masur, Saul Rubinek, Charles Martin Smith and B.D. Wong, And the Band Played On presents an unforgettable tale of scientific struggle, media manipulation, corruption, deceit, tragedy... and triumph.
Member Reviews
Learn Something New From This Emotional Presentation - c4th
“I came here today in hope that my epitaph would not read ‘I died of red tape’.” That’s what this movie is about – red tape - that centuries old struggle among idealists, realists and politicians.
There were many issues arising from the AIDS scare of the eighties – misinformation, research misconduct, blood supply testing, the closing of bath houses in San Francisco, and rising anti-gay sentiments. Political, religious, educational, scientific, medical, pharmaceutical, social arenas each had their own agendas. And The Band Played On (1993) is a touching movie that covers so much ground you are bound to learn something new but also experience a spectrum of emotions. It will infuriate you, sadden you, thrill you, disappoint you, encourage you and bring out feelings of empathy and compassion.
Is this a biased documentary? Yes, although I think any it points its finger at has reason to feel some shame. With many elements in play, it’s hard to paint all with appropriate amount of villainy. Perhaps its greatest bias is depicting Doctor Francis as a flawless hero. In exchanges between Dr. Francis (Matthew Modine) and Dr. Curran (Saul Rubinek) it hints that Francis is a little too idealistic and doesn’t appreciate the importance of playing the political game, frequently running interference with emotional outbursts. It probably doesn’t go far enough in pointing out the huge damage to the processes of research and political action that this caused. The writing, instead treats his idealism in heroic fashion, not as a failing.
Well it is thirty years later and the band is still playing. Thirty three million people live with AIDS yet only 3% of money spent on AIDS by NIAID is spent on cure research. Antiretroviral treatment offers hope in the medical world but in the education field seems the best thing we’ve come up with is “wear a condom”.Critical but Reasonably Balanced.... - Stitch
...assessment of the political reluctance which contributed significantly to the human toll of the AIDS epidemic in the US and probably worldwide (since much of the world looks to the CDC … Center for Disease Control in Atlanta … for epidemiology guidance). The point not made as strongly was that the reaction of the majority hetero population in the early years was ignorance at best and antipathy at worst. So it should be no surprise that most elected officials were reluctant to devote attention and funding at the onset. It was not another neo-con conspiracy.
Add to this other stakeholder interests when it came to the blood contamination issue, as demonstrated by the almost criminal disregard in Canada for the call for blood testing, and the result of the disregard. The eventual recompense we as citizens had to pony up thru our taxes does not help those who died needlessly. And it is little known that the blood contamination issue essentially wiped out a generation of hemophiliacs.
But to the film…it was very competently handled by all the cast. Cameo contributions by most of the actors were quite acceptable with the possible exception of Alan Alda who I thought was a poor choice as Dr. Gallo. Conversely Ian McKellan as Bill Kraus was excellent in conveying the human pathos of this tragedy. And his death scene was an acting gem which I will long remember. Matthew Modine and Richard Gere were appropriately chosen since they have comparable acting range. Not meant as a compliment.
In general, an excellent documentary that should be required viewing in every school so that following generations can see the horrific impact of deliberate avoidance and procrastination.Spectacular Story - Dave4
This film portrays the emergence of AIDS in the United States from the late '70s to the mid '80s. It gives a broad yet detailed overview of the culture, politics and science of that time. It's a serious and factual representation of events. The dialogue is first-rate, the performances are elegantly understated and the story itself is spellbinding. Everyone involved in this movie should stand up and take a bow. Absolutely brilliant.
Member Reviews
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Learn Something New From This Emotional Presentation - c4th
“I came here today in hope that my epitaph would not read ‘I died of red tape’.” That’s what this movie is about – red tape - that centuries old struggle among idealists, realists and politicians.
There were many issues arising from the AIDS scare ...Critical but Reasonably Balanced.... - Stitch
...assessment of the political reluctance which contributed significantly to the human toll of the AIDS epidemic in the US and probably worldwide (since much of the world looks to the CDC … Center for Disease Control in Atlanta … for epidemiology guidance). ...Spectacular Story - Dave4
This film portrays the emergence of AIDS in the United States from the late '70s to the mid '80s. It gives a broad yet detailed overview of the culture, politics and science of that time. It's a serious and factual representation of events. The dialogue is ...