Philadelphia Film Review

(This is a review that I wrote for the film class I was talking about. I hope you like it)

Philadelphia (1993)

Main cast: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington

Director: Jonathan Demme

Synopsis: When a man with AIDS is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.

Review:

Philadelphia was released during a time when AIDS was rampant and misunderstood. In 1993, the year the film was released, there were 14 million documented people with the HIV virus, and 2.5 million people worldwide diagnosed with AIDS. Because people didn’t understand the disease, people with AIDS were stigmatized, and faced a lot of discrimination, especially homosexuals. Many people believed that only homosexuals could contract this deadly virus, and even thought of it to be penance for their decision to participate in homosexual activity. Philadelphia not only helped clear up the stigmas surrounding the virus, but it also allowed people to put a face to the disease.

This drama tells the story of Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks), an outstanding lawyer that is recently promoted at his law firm for his great work. Beckett is gay and has been diagnosed with AIDS, but he keeps this secret from his law firm. However, when he was called into the office for the announcement of his promotion, a senior partner at the law firm notices a lesion on his forehead. Beckett waves it off as an injury that he got from getting hit in the head by a racket, but the partner obviously puts two and two together. Shortly after his promotion, he is fired from the law firm because they claim he is “incompetent”. Beckett suspects he was fired because he was sick, and tries to find a lawyer that will help him sue the law firm. He goes to 9 lawyers before finally convincing Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) to sign onto his case. Though Miller is admittedly a homophobe, he decides to help Beckett because of the exposure he will get from this case. The film then switches to a courtroom drama, though we are also able to see bits of Beckett’s and Miller’s lives outside of the courtroom. Beckett is surrounded by a supportive family and a loyal lover (Antonio Banderas). Miller has a loving wife and a newborn daughter. As the trial progresses, Miller’s prejudice against homosexuals slowly dissipates, and one cannot help but feel more and more empathetic for Beckett, who is getting sicker by the second. The ending of the film is both sad and triumphant, and left me feeling emotionally drained.

I feel the purpose of this film was to make viewers empathize with victims of AIDS, and I think the director succeeds in doing so.The film has a warm, realistic look and feel to it, and the sequence of events is understandable and extremely well done. The film also has well-developed and relatable characters. The film attempts to humanize Beckett by surrounding him by a supportive family that loves him for who he is. You want to root for Beckett because despite his being a good man, he receives backlash from  mainstream society that says he deserves to suffer for his sins as a homosexual. You also see the evolution of Miller from a self-proclaimed homophobe and opportunist to a someone who genuinely cares for and respects Beckett.There is one scene in particular in the film that shows both humanizes Beckett and shows Miller’s evolution very well. In this scene, Beckett explains to Miller what is happening in one of his favorite opera songs as the song plays in the background. As the music becomes more intense, the lighting turns red and begins to flash, and all you see are close-ups of their faces with expressions that are filled with pain as they realize Beckett won’t be able to enjoy this music much longer, since AIDS is basically a death sentence. The cinematography in this scene contrasts with the realistic cinematography of the rest of the film, but it really helps you to understand Beckett’s desire to live, and his distress over having this fatal disease. In this scene, you also see Miller’s compassion towards Beckett, despite his dislike of homosexuals. As Beckett becomes more human to us, he also becomes more human to Miller.

Philadelphia also raises awareness of the effects of AIDS. Before this film, the general public did not understand how much AIDS victims suffered as a result of this illness. As we watch Beckett become sicker and sicker, losing weight, losing his vision, and having more and more mobility issues, we get to see how devastating AIDS really is. We also get to see how his deterioration affects his family and friends. Watching a realistic depiction of AIDS and its complications helps us get beyond the hysteria of the disease, and it becomes as real and devastating to us as cancer or any other fatal illness.

This film was definitely one that was taking a risk with its controversial subject matter, but it did its job amazingly. Philadelphia shows us what a tragedy AIDS really is. It also showed how prejudiced people were in 1993 against homosexuals and people with AIDS. The film also has a great plot, with an interesting conflict. I, personally, am not one for courtroom dramas, but this film had a great pace, and kept everything very interesting. And despite the fact that this film is 20 years old, and that we are now much more knowledgeable about AIDS, this film still had a great impact on me. I was even able to relate it to a disease that is very feared today:Ebola. During the time that Philadelphia was released, AIDS was shrouded by as much mystery and hysteria as Ebola is today, and watching the film makes me wonder why it is so hard for us to empathize with people who are different from us. It is not until it affects us personally that we are able to really put faces on the victims of these diseases. What does that say about us as a society?