"What our citizens must know is this: America faces a disease that is fatal and spreading. And this calls for urgency, not panic. It calls for compassion, not blame. And it calls for understanding, not ignorance. It's also important that America not reject those who have the disease, but care for them with dignity and kindness."
- President Reagan's amfAR Speech. May 31, 1987.
Directed by Emmy Award winning Ryan Murphy and produced by Brad Pitt, 'The Normal Heart' is a touching, passionate, quasi-autobiographical film revolving around the birth of activism surrounding the AIDS crisis in the gay community during the 1980s.
The aura of the film instantly switches once Ned reads an article about the new "gay cancer", which interestingly was actually the coined term in the beginning stages of discovery. His friend Craig later dies at the clinic that Ned is at with his boyfriend Bruce (portrayed by Taylor Kitsch) not even being permitted to kiss him goodbye. Ned, commonly known for his outspokenness and audacity, takes it upon himself to take Dr. Brookner's (portrayed by Julia Roberts) advice and spread the word about the new disease, with little success. Synonymous with the utmost denial of HIV-AIDS during this period, outcries are like a tree falling in the woods with no one there to hear it, and more and more people are dying. To this, Ned is ashamed of his friends for sitting by idly whilst they do nothing and obtain no passion similar to his on the issue. He approaches Felix Turner (portrayed by one of my all time celebrity crushes, Matt Bomer) who is a closeted New York Times reporter to illuminate on the issue, to which he dismisses due to his position in the company not being ample enough to cause a reaction on a disease which ultimately is unfounded and his masqueraded journalism: "I talk about gay restaurants, gay discos, gay parties, I just don't call them gay."
Felix and Ned begin a romantic relationship, remembering (quite ironically), their first encounter in a gay bathhouse. What was a truly passionate scene for me was the sex scene in which Matt Bomer's character CRIED when he was having sex. He cried. Quite climatically, when you thought the film couldn't get more dramatic, it does. More acquaintances die and Felix dies as well, with the activism surrounding the issue still receiving limited exposure. Jim Parson's character is one of great notability, a caricature of the general interest of the public, he is initially complacent in nature towards the issue. Somewhat grim, whenever someone dies from the disease, he takes their card out of his rolodex and stacks them, stacking at an exponential rate. The ending of the film is what I would characterise as a peaceful, somber mood. It doesn't elevate the drama of the film, but definitely highlights it in somewhat of a calm nature. Ned watches people as they dance, gay men and woman together having fun. It makes evident the idea that there is still happiness on the other side of the road even though you may be diagnosed with HIV-AIDS.
Maybe not so evident in the 1980s, management of the disease is there and although it still is highly stigmatised, the 80s were a period of denial, complacency and refutability. The assertive and at times angry portrayal of the doctor by Julia Roberts was a stellar performance. During the film you often wonder why she's in a wheelchair, and that just makes her seem even more angrier. She represents the people of the gay community, simultaneously lamenting the loss of their friends and connections, and bid to try and put an end to this reciprocative turmoil.
The strong cohesion of the cast ensured the film maintained a steady emotional involvement even though the film at times seemed melodramatic and highly tangential at times during the plot line. For instance, I debate whether or not the inclusion of the Bruce/Albert relationship was relevant, I believe it was merely inserted to reiterate Bruce's denial of himself and highlight the initial point of Ned about love because Bruce has moved on quite so quickly sexually from his deceased partner, who may be able to be classified in nowadays terms as a "friend with benefits". Nevertheless, unnecessary.
What the film does greatly is not only highlight the ostracisation of homosexuals, the denunciation of the disease as a whole and finally the lack of response in the 1980s, but extends greater to reiterate its strong presence still to this day. The resentment that HIV-AIDS is only a gay disease has somewhat been lost as a schism now, yet still with no cure or virus, it is important to highlight that HIV-AIDS still affects heterosexual people than homosexual people (arguably by matter of population, but still, it affects people of all types). Society may discriminate you by having a higher chance of contracting it based on sexual orientation and identity, but HIV does not discriminate. Arguably something considered novel by the comparative paucity of the disease, it is something often forgotten. But because something is little, does not disintegrate its culpability of raising awareness.
I finished watching the film in tears.
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