A good film, despite all its flaws
There has been much criticism about And the Band played on": that there were too many characters, many of them drawn rather shallow (if not stereotypical), that it wasn't focused enough, convoluted. There is some truth in that, but mind you, this is a TV-movie after all with all its limitations and considering that, it's doing a pretty good job.I had watched this movie because virology is a hobby of mine and there are very few films that deal with the subject of disease (some going down the road of the dreadful "Outbreak"; others being plain boring). On terms of following the rise of an epidemic, "And the Band Played on" works perfectly. At the same time, it catches the atmosphere of the 1980s, the paranoia, the general fear and confusion that marked the first appearance of AIDS.
There have been arguments whether the movie is too "pro"- or "anti-homosexuals" but I tend to think that it handles the story pretty neutral and hence can be enjoyed by people who themselves are neutral on the issue. True, it doesn't show the gay community, especially the one in San Francisco, in a particularly favorable light (rampant promiscuity, spokespeople in (self)-denial, etc), but then again, there is no denying that without hot spots like SF and the selfish, shallow mentality of the people living there, the epidemic might have taken a different course. The film isn't much kinder on other factors that have facilitated the spread of AIDS in this period, namely conservative politicians of the Regan-era, greedy pharmaceutical companies and self-righteous scientists (especially Dr. Vincent Gallo is painted as a virtual psychopath; doubtful whether the Doctor could very flattered by his portrayal), but then again, why should a film be kind to people and organizations that, in time, would be responsible for millions of death? Another factor that makes this a good film is the director Roger Spottiswoode; many less experienced film-makers would have chosen to press the tear-duct of the viewer in order to get a response, but Spottiswoode doesn't take the cheap option. He's painting a grim picture of a grim situation but he never makes it look melodramatic or, with a few exceptions, sentimental. There's often a fine chemistry among the cast, especially the research team around Don Francis (Matthew Modine) – on other times, the chemistry seems forced, not quiet natural (for example, we are never explained why there should be such a deep bond between Francis and Bill Kraus (Ian McKellen)).
In essence, though many criticisms are true – especially that too many story lines are cramped into a mere two hours (the rather lengthy book by Randy Shilts would probably have been better served by a mini-series) and that the film is a virtual star-sighting tour (some of the cameos lasting merely a few seconds) – it doesn't make it a bad movie.
I'd give it 7 from 10 points (deducting one point for the schmaltzy Elton John in the final scene, which seems to combine all the shallow cheesiness that the rest of the movie spared us).
score 7/10
t_atzmueller 1 February 2013
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2746745/34992
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