And the Band Played On Reviews

• Where were you twenty years ago?

  
  By A2QZQBINBG6B5N on 2002-07-31
  I never made it all the way through Randy Shilts's book so I won't presume to know whether this film did right by Mr. Shilts. Simply put, this is great drama. The patronizing statements about made-for-tv movies don't apply here. The drama, sadly, comes from the real events that are depicted--the collective denial about the reality of AIDS as that disease first began appearing in the gay and Haitian communities, the government's (read "Ronald Reagan's") persistent indifference, the professional jealousy within the medical communities vying to be the first to identify the agent (the virus) that causes AIDS, and how human beings resist having their preconceived notions about life challenged (as when a group of gay activists insists on keeping gay bath houses open even as it became apparent that AIDS was spread through sexual contact). This movie really took me back twenty years to when I first read a short article buried somewhere in the middle of the New York Times about a gay-related cancer little realizing how much my life would change from that point onward.

  The performances across the board are great. I was especially impressed by Matthew Modine (I've liked him since "Birdy" and I like to see him get meaty roles as here), Alan Alda (not the likable mensch from MASH), Ian McClellan, B.D. Wong, and Phil Collins (who knew?).

  Aside from some cast biographies this DVD has no other "extras". Nor does it need any.
  
  

• Pulling on your emotions

  
  By A1Y8I2XLJS223M on 2002-06-24
  This made-for-HBO movie definitely transcends the "disease of the week" genre that it's part of. Based on the book by Randy Shilts, it chronicles the struggle of science vs. politics vs. morality in the early days of the AIDS crisis. Our point of view character is Dr. Don Francis (Matthew Modine), a passionate young scientist with the Centers for Disease Control. He and his colleagues, both at the CDC and France's Pasteur Institute, seem to be the only ones who remember that there are real people dying of this mysterious disease. Dr. Robert Gallo (Alan Alda)is one of the few human "villians" of the piece, more interested in writing himself into the history of the disease than in helping anyone. Two other notable performances are those of Lily Tomlin as the tough, no-nonsense Dr. Selma Dritz) and Ian McKellan as Congressional aide Bill Krause, who as part of San Francisco's gay community, is in the epicenter of the crisis.

  
  Watching this movie, I got very angry. The blood banks, for example, were more worried about money than lives. One of the best scenes in the movie is where Dr. Francis stands up at a meeting and screams at reps from the blood industry, "How many dead hemophiliacs do you need?" before they do something about it. (That was a reenactment of a real outburst, not a fictional event.) An end title tells us that "By the time President Reagan made his first speech on AIDS, 25,000 people had died." Between events like these and Gallo's blatant scientific misconduct, it's hard to avoid being incensed.

  The acting is excellent, especially Modine and Alda, who even look a little like the men they're playing. Modine brings an incredible amount of passion and frustration to Dr. Francis. I especially like McKellan's character, an older gay man who is not a stereotype. Several familiar character actors show up as supporting players, and some very famous faces (Steve Martin, Richard Gere, Phil Collins, Swoosie Kurtz, and Anjelica Huston) make cameo appearances.

  If you're looking for something light and fluffy, this is not the movie for you. If you want something that will make you think, with some fine acting and a realistic script, this is for you. (Watch this, then go read Shilts' book.)
  
  

• Battles in the Larger War

  
  By AL5OEDM8TPTKV on 2005-08-10
  In 1980, thousands of Americans were under siege by an unknown virus, destined to attack whomever it wished in a vicious, unbelievable way. The response from the government was to ignore it, the response from the primary community it attacked was denial, and the response from the doctors was puzzlement and wonder. This mix led to the deaths of thousands, and eventually millions of people, who were unwittingly victims in this plague that still sweeps the world. "And the Band Played On" marks the early struggles in this monumental epic, and the politics that all too effectively wiped out these victims.
  
  Matthew Modine plays Dr. Don Francis, a virologist who's passion is science and is one of the foremost researchers for AIDS. Intrigued early on with this disease, and unable to answer some of the questions, Francis starts his campaign to discover the source, along with a talented and barely funded crew at the Centers for Disease Control. Because the population it attacked was gay, the Reagan adminstration turned a blind eye to the disease, not wanting to offend it's conservative religious core. And the Band Played On, and more and more people began to die.
  
  Then toss into this mix a gay community recently empowered, afraid of the disease and yet afraid this was another attempt to subvert them. Led by Ian McKellan as Bill Kraus, who struggled against his own community to get them to stop spreading the disease. Yet they turned a blind eye, left the bathhouse open (which were a breeding ground for AIDS), And The Band Played On, and more and more people died.
  
  And then toss into this mix a doctor bent on restoring his shattered reputation and his shattered ego by arguing with the French about discovering this retrovirus. Dr. Gallo, brilliantly played by Alan Alda, put his own needs above those affected from this disease, looking for fame and glory, And the Band Played On.
  
  Taking Randy Shilts' groundbreaking and revolutionary book into a movie format was a challenging and daunting task. The book is thick with characters and politics, and the movie successfully touches on all major areas in the book. However, to get the most complete story, check out the originial source material. The book is still a compelling read so many years later, and if this book doesn't get you outraged, nothing will.
  
  The film ends with an incredible touching tribute to those we lost from AIDS, from the littlest babies to the greatest celebrities, over the haunting song of Elton John's "The Last Song". The end result was our loss of Ryan White ... Rock Hudson ... Bill Kraus ... Amanda Blake ... unspoken millions ... And the Band Plays On ...
  
  

• This is not a gay issue. This is a human issue.

  
  By A1GSR7RGCG1QYZ on 2004-09-23
  A real-life story about the discovery and destructive nature of AIDS, And the Band Played On is a gripping drama that not only takes you to the front line and behind the scenes of the HIV virus. To the bath houses in San Francisco to the research labs at the Center for Disease Control, there is no area that is not shown in this film. An all-star cast also creates the ambiance to this film. Powerful actors giving the performances of a lifetime. Richard Gere, Angelica Houston, Ian McKellan, Steve Martin, Alan Alda, Phil Collins, and even Matthew Modine are just a few of the actors who deserved Academy Awards for their work. While most of their parts were small, they were not unforgettable segments. Each cameo actor had a crucial role in leading us to the next segment and life of the HIV virus.
  
  We are first introduced to Modine when he is trying to help a tribe with the destructible Ebola virus. Then, just as quickly, we are in mainstream San Francisco. The booming gay community and the political figureheads that were pushing for rights. It is the beginning of 1980, the Democrats are pushing for a more liberal stance, while Regan is being sworn into the White House for his first term. The world is happy, yet timid. The gay community is growing, and discovering that a dark fear is lurking behind them. While the United States is beating a dead horse about closing bath houses and stopping the gay community, the French are looking at it outside of a sexual disease. Possibly a blood disease. While they research their ideas, America begins to see the full effect of AIDS. These scientists are predicting that in the next several years the fatality rate will be 100% if you contract AIDS. Ronald Regan has just had his second term and has still not mentioned AIDS in public. While the French work day and night to stop their public from dying, we begin shunning the gay community. Creating a phobia due to lack of education. We even see a well respected doctor steal the discovery from the French just so that he can credit the monetary value of this disease. While the ending to this film is very sappy, it still was powerful enough to not only be enjoyable, but also educational. A film that if you have not seen yet, you should...and if you have seen it, see it again.
  
  This powerful two and a half hour epic was the most entertaining informative film I have seen in ages. I rented it not knowing anything about it. I first picked it up for the actors to see what they could do in such small roles. Little did I know I was about to see everyone in the performances of their lifetime. Richard Gere proved once and again why he is an actor. It befuddles me why Modine has stopped working, because after seeing him in this film I would have liked to see him move further in the Hollywood community.
  
  It is not everyday that you find a gem as this film. If I was a superintendent of schools and I just saw this film, I would push with every ounce of strength to get this film into my schools. I learned more about AIDS than I ever had in my education career. It not only brought out a text book style of education, but it also brought a very humanistic approach to the disease. It also brought out a very dark political side that perhaps the general public is not as familiar with. Not only that, but it also brought out the dark side of human nature. In times of plagues, we rely to heavily on science to be our savior. While it will be the backbone to our cause, we do need to have a feeling for those that already have the disease. We, as a nation, need to look past social standings, sexual preference, and color of our skin to realize that we are all humans. If this is a "human" disease, then we need to research every venue, not just the most obvious ones. If this film doesn't scare you, I don't think any horror film will.
  
  Like all great films, it did have some horrible sides to it. McKellan's story was too cliché. The story of the homosexual politician who looses his lover because he is more involved with politics than his social life, who eventually reunite when it is discovered that McKellan has AIDS. Modine's flashbacks were unnecessary. I felt that we did not need to be reminded why he believed in human nature, and I don't think that we needed to be reminded by seeing a scene where he throws bodies into a fire. Something more substantial would have been nice. Finally, the ending was too much for me. I don't think it needed to have an Elton John (prominent homosexual figure in entertainment) singing one of his songs with flashing pictures of famous people, straight and gay, that we have lost to AIDS. Perhaps a more poignant picture would have been less famous people (every day Joes) who have died from the disease.
  
  Overall, the good well out weigh the bad points that I just mentioned. I guarantee that you will be surprised, educated, and emotionally enthralled by this film.
  
  Grade: **** out of *****
  
  

• Lies and lying liars who tell them!

  
  By A3E8LIY4GA2SVM on 2004-06-09
  I actually got this from a blog from Dean's World (Dean is a liberal) who nailed the problem with this movie:

  "Reagan had an excellent record on gay rights issues--to the extent that anyone at that level of office in that day and age could be said to have such a record, anyway, since he had publicly supported gay rights measures and, while he did ally with some conservative Christian forces, never once backed any anti-gay legislation and was always personally gay-friendly. While it's true that there were things his administration could have done better about the early AIDS crisis, this is true for just about everyone in the 1980s--gay rights activists, local and national elected officials of both parties and at all levels of government--responded poorly. If any of you saw that execrable HBO movie And The Band Played On, you should be aware that it gave a horribly politically slanted accounting, but the book it was based on, And The Band Played On by Randy Shilts, was a much fairer and more damning book. Shilts would never have approved that attrocious movie. The book is must-reading, for Shilts (who was gay, lived in San Francisco, and himself eventually died of AIDS) documents in excruciating detail how local government officials, gay rights activists, judges, and career civil servants in many cases conspired to keep the plague from being recognized and to prevent government from even getting involved. Shilts was unsparing in his indictment of everyone at all levels and in both parties, and if he was sometimes harsh on the Reagan administration, he was usually even harsher with others, including gay rights activists he personally knew and who were responsible for preventing government from taking direct action to stop the plague in its tracks.

  It's great reading. And a good supplement, by the way, is David Horowitz' autobiography Radical Son, because in the last half of the book Horowitz talks about how he befriended Randy Shilts and saw himself how radical left-wing gay activists fought tooth and nail to prevent government from taking any action to stop the plague or even recognize that a plague was spreading. And how gay men who tried to act against it were often attacked as liars and traitors and sellouts to "the fundamentalists." It's powerful reading.

  Oh, and by the way, there is also a consistent rumor floating around parts of the gay community that the Reagan administration wanted to put AIDS victims into concentration camps. Just so you know, that too is a myth.

  It's remarkable what some people think they know that simply isn't true."
  
  

• Superb account of the AIDS crisis 1977-1993
  By AFOK05KDCHSHL on 2001-11-21
  Whilst Hollywood was busy congratulating itself for the critical and commercial success of "Philadelphia" (1993) - an awkward, uncomfortable drama which undermined its own sincerity for the sake of mainstream acceptance - HBO debuted Roger Spottiswoode's "And the Band Played On" (1993), an adptation of the late Randy Shilts' hotly debated chronicle of the AIDS crisis in America. Itself the subject of considerable controversy, the film took several years to develop and was eventually taken out of Spottiswoode's hands during the editing process, to be completed by Bill Couturie (co-producer of the Oscar-winning documentary "Common Threads Stories from the Quilt" [1989]), who's credited as an editorial 'consultant' in the closing titles. Not merely a 'gay' drama, the film has broad-based appeal, both as a narrative and as an invaluable history lesson.

  From the first case diagnosed in Copenhagen in 1977 to the US death toll in July 1993, Arnold Schulman's script follows the heroic efforts of virologist Don Francis (Matthew Modine at his most earnest) to uncover the source of an unknown 'plague' which is killing gay men, hemophiliacs and intravenous drug users across America. Unfortunately, as the unfolding drama reminds us in no uncertain terms, the crisis coincided with Reagan's election to the presidency, establishing a right-wing administration which refused even to publicly acknowledge the problem until it began to spread beyond the gay community and affect 'ordinary' voters. Like the book on which it's based, the film vents its spleen on those who turned a blind eye to the escalating tragedy until it was too late, especially the blood bank industry which ignored repeated scientific warnings about possible contamination of the blood supply until lawsuits from people who became infected during transfusions forced them into action, and the gay community which railed against the proposed closure of bath houses in major cities as an infringement of their hard-earned sexual freedoms. Scientific divisions simply exacerbated the problem: Alan Alda portrays the eminent scientist Robert Gallo as an insensitive, vainglorious bully who was prepared to sacrifice lives whilst pursuing credit for discovering how the virus worked, an accolade which actually belonged to a number of extremely diligent French scientists! The film is careful to acknowledge Gallo's hard work in this field, but as depicted here, his arrogance leaves a rotten taste in the mouth.

  With Modine's eminently sympathetic scientist-figure acting as the primary focus, the fast-moving screenplay conveys a wealth of information with remarkable clarity, keeping the viewer fully informed throughout. Paradoxically, if it wasn't for the all-star cast (including Richard Gere, Lily Tomlin, Ian McKellen, Phil Collins, etc.), the film might not have been made at all, but their contributions - often fleeting - are sometimes distracting rather than illuminating ("Oh look, there's Anjelica Huston, Steve Martin!", etc.), though the performances are uniformly strong, particularly since there's no time to sketch these characters in anything but the most basic terms. Evidence of production troubles is non-existent, and the film ends on an emotional highpoint with documentary footage of celebrities and individuals whose lives have been touched by AIDS, set to Elton John's 'The Last Song'.

  If nothing else, AIDS forced society to confront its two greatest taboos, sex and death, and it also exposed a raft of prejudices which had been festering for decades. Galvanized by its sense of loss, and appalled by the state-sanctioned bigotry which prevented adequate funding of research and treatment while the US government allowed its defence budget to spiral into the stratosphere, the gay community finally shook off its complacency and launched a prolonged militant campaign which eventually forced the issue into the public arena. The film provokes anger and sadness in equal measure as it outlines the circumstances which incited the virus to epidemic proportions, and the inevitable devastation which followed.

  But every so often, the story makes way for something more profound than mere anger, and reduces the viewer to heartbroken silence: A young man, once beautiful, waits alone for death in a room at the V.A. hosital in Los Angeles, slowly succumbing to the lesions which are beginning to destroy his brain. As the scene concludes, he turns toward a window overlooking an enormous cemetery featuring row upon row of gleaming-white gravestones which stretch to the horizon, an image that links the fallen victims of a bygone conflict to those of the present generation, dying in their thousands as a helpless world looks on.

  Though produced for television, the film - which runs 141m 32s - was photographed by Paul Elliott ("The Broken Hearts Club A Romantic Comedy" [2000]) with theatrical screenings in mind, allowing HBO to provide a letterboxed (1.85:1) print for their region 1 disc, anamorphically enhanced. Picture quality is excellent. There's a choice of 2.0 or 5.1 surround tracks, and while they're both impressive, there really isn't much to distinguish between them. Closed cpations are provided along with English subtitles, and the only extra is a series of potted biographies for the main cast. Incidentally, the film's R rating seems unusually harsh, unless the MPAA was concerned about some brief dialogue references to certain sexual practices; otherwise, there's nothing here which warrants anything more than a PG-13.
  
  

• Mesmerizing evidence that demands a verdict.
  By A373HPN6ZIBY1M on 2002-06-14
  From the very first time I sat through this movie, my awareness of AIDS versus politics, and the gay rights movement versus gay peoples' self-examination into their personal activities and morals, increased 10 fold. The various band members portrayed -- "fast lane" homosexuals, the bathhouse owners, the San Francisco Health Department, Blood bank operators, Homosexual Rights Groups, and the Media, Public Health Authorities, and the Reagan Administration -- show a stunning portrayal of the responsibility we all share in the face of a crises that ultimately affects us all on one level or another.

  Though not as thorough as the book upon which the fact-based movie is based (And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic; By Randy Shilts, St. Martin's Press), this made-for-cable film poignantly testifies to those few who fought desperately to get the band's attention and those who died horribly while it continued to play.

  The movie proves that the issue does not necessarily surround, (in Shilts's paraphrase), "society's responsibility to find the medical technology to prevent all sexually transmitted diseases rather than the gay community's responsibility to keep sexuality in line with what medical technology can cure."
  
  

• An eye-opener!
  By AO4OZ8CUWG307 on 2003-02-12
  Having gotten poliomyelitis in 1953, I see comparisons between the two diseases. People with AIDS suffered prejudice and lack of information of how the disease is passed just like those who got polio. There was isolation and fear with both. Polio killed as did AIDS, but Polio was not necessarily a death sentence as was AIDS (at least at first). Polio children were often pitied,especially if they were crippled. But, much money was raised from the public sector by the National Foundation to pay for braces, operations, etc. The story of AIDS is as tragic as the disease itself. It is a gripping story that everyone should know. This movie shows clearly how it happened and why money was hard to get. It certainly kept my attention throughout. All the actors did a wonderful job with their respective roles. Even Alan Alda was convincing as Dr. Gallo, the researcher. (Alda was a polio survivor.) Lily Tomlin was wonderful as was Matthew Modine, and all the rest. My advise is not to watch this movie on the same day as you see Tom Hanks' "Philadelphia" (another great movie). At least for me, I can only take so much injustice in one day. I now want to read the book by Randy Shilts.
  
  
• If You Know Someone
  By APKXOWMITWYCZ on 2003-11-08
  If you have younger friends who were not there while millions died buy this DVD and let them see it. I worked for some time with a youth group and we watched this DVD together. I had to pause it dozens of times to explain what was happening. The younger people up to age 30ish simply have no understanding of this horrific epidemic. Believe it or not I think every school in North America should have this DVD as a class project. I work closely with the AIDS community today and find it difficult to see 16 to 28 year olds now testing positive. This movie gives out a lot of information and the list of people in it will get anyone of any age to watch it... and then watch them cry at the end. This DVD is a gift of life for a friend you may love.
  
  
• Informing and Inspiring
  By A2BS2WIILN8RCE on 1999-12-05
  I just saw this movie on December 1st (World AIDS Day). Before this movie I didn't know anything about the history of the AIDS virus and the impact it had on society. I now know about the devastation and fear it caused, and how the government chose to ignore it because it only primarily affected gay men. What was sadder then the tragic effects of the disease itself was the way society viewed and treated those infected with AIDS. I think everyone in the world should watch this movie to be better informed about AIDS. This movie made a big difference in my life and I know it will in others.
  
  
• One of my favorite movies of all time
  By A2QIKC5H3DK9FC on 2003-09-10
  I must have seen this movie at least three or four times, and it always gets to me. I will not go into the story line here, as that has been done in detail by other reviewers. Instead, I would just like to say that this is one of those great movies which, in my view, has not received as much attention as it should have. It is not only a suspenseful and gripping account of the early AIDS epidemic, it is also a lesson in how science can be at once extraordinary, as well as petty and ferociously competitive. Based in fact, this movie also serves as an important historical document.

  Seeing this movie will not lift your spirits, and it most certainly doesn't paint a pretty picture of humanity, but it does leave you feeling a little wiser, and more educated about the beginnings of a disease which continues to greatly affect people and societies all over the planet. It tells a story which needs to be told, and it does it well.
  
  

• Weak and Uninspired
  By on 1999-09-12
  Although the film will be an eye-opener for viewers who know little if anything about the factors which encouraged AIDS to move from a disease afflicting the few to a full blown epidemic, to any one in the least knowledgeable it will prove singularly uninspired.

  Based on the powerful book by Randy Shilts, And The Band Played On had the potential to be one of the single most galvanizing films (and not to mention a fascinating story) ever made. Instead, we receive a watered down, fairly sanitized version of everything which make the book such a knockout.

  See the film if you must, but you're much better off with the book. If you are interested in the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, I also recommend the film Longtime Companion, which traces the impact of AIDS on a circle of friends living in New York when the disease first began to spread.
  
  

• A sorrowful tune
  By A2VE83MZF98ITY on 2003-06-12
  In the midst of the growing crisis of the AIDS epidemic, one journalist who witnessed the development and destruction wrought by this disease firsthand put together a regular series of columns chronicling what he felt was important for history not to forget. Appearing locally in San Francisco (perhaps ground zero for the epidemic, or certainly one of the first major sites to suffer) and then nationally in the likes of `Rolling Stone', Randy Shilts' commentary grew into the text `And the Band Played On', which follows the history of the AIDS crisis from many perspectives.

  In reducing this massive tome to a reasonable-length feature, HBO pictures and Aaron Spelling (yes, Spelling, best known for Beverly Hills: 90210 and the like) had to devise a way of making it interesting and compelling for the small screen (this was a made-for-television film). They opted to follow the career of Dr. Don Francis, an epidemiologist with the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, and his team as they fought to uncover the mystery of the disease, and then had to fight to get public and official recognition of the problem.

  Played by Matthew Modine, Francis gives a real sense of the frustration and confusion that faced the medical establishment in the early days of the disease. Coming at the time of a great conservative political revival on both sides of the Atlantic, a disease that seemed to affect undesirables, moral degenerates particularly (or so the popular sentiment ran), was unlikely to get any public assistance. Ian McKellan (who had yet to come out publicly as a gay man) played the political activist Bill Krause, who realised that he was fighting a difficult uphill battle during the Reagan era, when even his own Democratic party didn't want to embrace the gay community.

  Perhaps the most interesting portrayal in the production is that of Alan Alda, who plays the enigmatic and controversial figure of Dr. Robert Gallo, discoverer of the first human retro-virus (which had, at that time, no disease to attach to it). Gallo's back-and-forth ego battles with the French researchers at the Pasteur Institute and with the CDC (and Dr. Francis in particular) may have caused delays and difficulties in finding adequate ways of identifying infections and virus-positive persons. The book goes into much more detail than the film about the 'which-virus-is-it?' controversy (HIV was not the first virus to which AIDS was attached). Gallo took exception to the way he was portrayed in the original film; in the updated video release there is addenda that addresses some of the issues.

  The chilling decisions of hospital boards and from the troubled gay community, making decisions unwise in retrospect (and perhaps known to be unwise if politically untenable at the time) lend an air of concern about the way in which disease in general is handled in modern society. The ideal of public health concern is shown to be largely at the mercy of business and political decisions. The equally-chilling realisation that this was a disease with a potentially 100% mortality rate is an important aspect.

  It almost falls into the realm of dark humour that, once there were laboratory allocations and some small budgetary allowance that it was thought that this disease would be identified, contained, and possibly cured within a matter of a few years, if not months. Now entering the third decade of the epidemic, one wonders at the misplaced optimism, and worries about what other, worse diseases are lurking around the world.

  This made-for-television film is remarkable because of the number of big names that turned out for relatively small parts - Lily Tomlin, Phil Collins, Richard Gere, Steve Martin - many actors and actresses lent their support to this project as a public service, accepting only minimum union fees if any payment at all. The premiere was in Washington, D.C. before an audience which included members of Congress and government and industry leaders.

  The film ends with a montage of video clips and stills of prominent people who had died of AIDS - the number of people is staggering, made apparent by the modern phenomenon of the AID quilt, a grass-roots project designed to keep the memories of each victim alive. This is the Butcher's Bill, a term coined by Nelson as he fought Napoleon, who asked what the daily death toll was. HBO films also produced an Academy Award winning documentary, `Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt', which I highly recommend as a supplement to this film.

  While AIDS is no longer the automatic, immediate death sentence it once was, it is still a serious disease that has a high mortality rate, and is enormously expensive to treat and combat. But, the medical community is beginning to learn something. I hope you will take the time to listen to the story, which is an important one, put in compelling format.
  
  

• A Sad Commentary
  By A2OWU8N3NNKY22 on 2000-11-17
  This film graphically illustrates the downfall of the American Red Cross. Victims of political pressure to a president who refused to recognize HIV as the deadly menace it is, both the Red Cross and researchers more attune to personal gain than to the needs of the general populace allowed a countless number of innocent Americans to become exposed to HIV.

  Regardless of your sexual orientation, HIV can affect you. This film points out the senseless acts of so many once held in high regard, and the unwillingness to spend a few extra dollars to protect the public at large. May we all learn a lesson from this debacle and strive to continue improving healthcare in America.
  
  

• Not abysmal, BUT...
  By A1BW9MNLZA9LLA on 1999-12-30
  For heavens sake, read Randy Shilts' book instead of watching this mediocrity! The man wrote like a dream and covered the beginning of the AIDS era like no one else could.
  
  
• PHENOMENAL & MOVING
  By A3AH2U4LSMQ7VM on 2003-04-20
  In 1978, the first cases of a mysterious viral pneumonia began appearing, and people started dying. No reasonable cause of death could be found. By 1980, gay men in the United States started dying of pneumonia and skin cancer, and a trend started to emerge. No one wanted to fund research to save a few gay bathhouse patrons, and the CDC was forced to investigate the disease with a skeleton crew, minimal funding, and quietly. Their hard work uncovered the possibility that this was a sexually transmitted disease, but no one wanted to close the bathhouses. They discovered it was transmitted through the blood supply as well, but no one wanted to spend the money to screen blood. Ronald Reagan was still refusing to acknowledge the disease publicly, and no one wanted to believe that AIDS was a problem. It wasn't until women and children started dying that the public finally started to take notice, and notice they did. Less than 10 years after the first cases were isolated in the United States, over a million would be afflicted with the disease.

  This is the story of those first years, from the first stunning revelation that there was a common link to those early cases to the isolation of the virus and the development of a screening test for it. It's about the politicians that didn't want to risk political suicide by getting involved with a "gay" disease, about the doctors and health professionals who worked night and day for years to find the cause, and most importantly it's about the people who's lives were cut short by this killer.

  What might sound dry and plotless in print is actually an engrossing, fascinating, emotional movie. The entire story moves along well, and never seems to drag too long at any point. What could have been a confusing film is made very easy for the layperson to understand. It doesn't pull any punches, and few people will walk away without feeling some sense of rage at how many lives were needlessly taken away in their prime because of ignorance, red tape, prejudice and money.

  The cast in this movie is out of this world, and there's not a single weak performance in the bunch. It's one of those movies where, each time a new character comes onscreen, you say "Hey, that's so-and-so!". Matthew Modine plays a CDC doctor who wears his heart on his sleeve, part of the CDC team that searched inexhaustibly for the contagious factor in AIDS, or as it was called at the time, GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency). Other members of the team include Richard Masur and Glenne Headley, who spend their own money to fly all over the country, interviewing victims and trying to trace the causes of the disease. Sir Ian McKellan gives an expectedly stirring performance, as a gay man who spends years battling beaurocratic red tape to get politicians to fund AIDS research, only to find out that he himself has the disease. B.D. Wong is great as his long-time companion and best friend. Lily Tomlin is one of the highlights of the movie, as a back-breaking, shut-up-and-get-it-done-now type. Steve Martin gives one of his stronger performances as the brother of a high-society closet homosexual. Richard Gere, who is sort of hit-and-miss in his movie roles, is moving and believeable as a Broadway choreographer afflicted with AIDS. Alan Alda is an absolute treat, playing the self-important Dr. Callo, the American doctor who tried to claim sole discovery of the virus that causes AIDS as well as the test to detect it. Part of the movie revolves around his refusal to acknowledge or work with the French scientists who truly did discover the virus, and the urge to run up to the TV and slap Alan Alda is almost irresistable! There are at least 20 more actors and actresses in this movie that you'll recognize instantly, it's that great of a cast.

  I can't say enough about this DVD! I originally saw it back in the 90s, when it first aired on HBO, and it stuck with me through all of these years. I finally found it here on Amazon on DVD, and just watched it: I was afraid that I might have been remembering it as better than it was, but it didn't disappoint me in the least! This film will keep you on the edge of your seat, staring at the screen in rage, sadness and awe from beginning to end.
  
  

• And the Band Played Good.
  By A3MCC5MAJYJYMD on 2004-06-16
  'And the Band Played On' is an excellent film about the true story of the discovery of the AIDS virus from the late 1970s' into the 1980s'. It has an All-Star cast that bring delight to the screen. More interesting than 'Philadelphia'.
  
  
• A Surprising, Sensitive, and Engrossing Thriller About the AIDS Crisis
  By A13NM1PES9OXVN on 2005-11-02
  This is an unforgettable film, an intelligent and suspenseful story with fantastic ensemble acting, and that shows how a lot of little mistakes, and big egos, bigger ignorance, and lots of bureaucrats, can lead to massive loss of life. And did so here so tragically in the AIDS crisis, in which a small group of scientists and doctors struggled to contain a terrifying new virus in the 1980s.
  
  The fact that the disease was still 'trackable' when it was pinpointed -- as illustrated in this film -- it breaks my heart. I could not have imagined a movie of the book when I read it, but this film has a pulse-pounding and truly suspenseful story as one small team races to contain the spread of the disease, while (heartbreakingly) watching so many lives fall with staggering quickness before the disease. We meet many of these victims briefly, yet they are interesting and instantly memorable people, and it hurts to lose them. We also see how these stunning losses inexorably begin to affect those on the team (there's an especially lovely scene between Glenn Headley and Richard Gere that goes from being charming and slightly flirtatious, to quietly devastating in just a minute or two). Gere is very good here (in a character inspired by "A Chorus Line" creator Michael Bennett).
  
  So many of the facts presented here are hard to believe just a few decades later -- the victims who continued to infect others simply because they could not face their own mortality -- the refusals to close the bathhouses -- the refusals of blood banks to start a screening process that would have protected hemophiliacs from receiving at least 75% of infected blood (because of the expense -- sigh) -- the fact that too few people in government cared (or would even mention the word AIDS) simply because it involved gay men.
  
  Matthew Modine is excellent as the passionate doctor intent on finding a cure, and the superb cast also includes such wonderful actors as Anjelica Huston, Steve Martin, Patrick Bauchau, Richard Masur, David Dukes, Glenn Headley, Alan Alda (a wonderful and chilling, stupidly egotistical villain), Swoosie Kurtz, Richard Gere, Donal Logue, and many more. I love all the performances here, and the final montage is stunning. I can't imagine anyone not being moved by all those vibrant images of people who are no longer with us.
  
  It's a movie that is surprisingly suspenseful and exciting, and which stays with you for a long time. My favorite line in the film occurs in a quiet scene near the end of the story, in a coffee shop where Matthew Modine breaks down for the first time, in frustration, anger, and sadness, only to be consoled, with surprising kindness, by the boss he fought against for so long: "Sometimes I look at you, in awe and wonder, too."
  
  
  
• Pretty Much Spot On In Accuracy - DVD shows pretty much how it was!
  By A1SDPA1J98UP4L on 2006-05-14
  
  I really liked this DVD. Hard as it was to watch for all the painful memories it brings flooding back into the forefront of the consciousness. The callous cold hearted indifferent nastiness of the Reagan Administration as those it considered lesser Americans lay in hospitals suffering and dying.
  
  This DVD shows Dr Gallo as a shallow man with a vaccuous heart lacking anything remotely akin to human compassion unless of course the camera's were rolling. The film shows the CDC being headed by political hacks who elevated the collected arts of administrative spin control, reckless indifference to suffering \ death of people it did not like and stonewalling to the stuff of mythic legend.
  
  While the DVD shows the ugliest demons of the human heart laid bare that the whole world might see it also shares the most humane and tender moments of the early days of before HIV / AIDS got those names. The film showed how even in one of america's darkest hours when true presidental leadership was asleep at the switch, the little people those deep inside government did all they could to protect the public health living up to the highest standards for onr called to offer themselves in service to our nation.
  
  The DVD simply told the truth and it is left pretty much to the viewer to make up his or her own mind what they think of those times. There were some moving facts at the end of the DVD all now quite dated. I guess the thing that caught me so totally off guard was the running tally showing the numbers of sick and dying people from the earliest days of the epidemic. It is so sad how the Reagan adminstration so viciously sat on its hands doing nothing while so many died in an epidemic that it might not have stopped but it might have slowed significantly had it only acted with the same fortitude at home that it mustered in Beruit or Libia.
  
  Yes I dwell too much on the sickening aspects of those times because just seeing it again after having lived through it makes me mad. Seeing this DVD just convinces me that had we a real leader in the white house when AIDS HIV GRID Gay Cancer first burst onto the scene things might have not been so grim. But this DVD is so much more than the venom and pain of loss it also highlights human kind at its best. There is much love in this DVD balanced with the grim realities of the day. Back in the day I can not say I was on the front lines, because indeed I was not. I think this movie is a must have for anyone's collection and at its current price it can not be beat. Of course I brought a copy and might buy another for a spare to lend out for teaching purposes. This DVD is pretty accurate HIV history as it should be told.
  
  
• A Change of Mind
  By on 1999-08-16
  I am only 17 and saw this when it came out when I was just 11. After seeing this movie my views and opinion on AIDS changed completly. I went from knowing next to nothing about it to being enraged at president Reagan for not giving money to reaserch the unknown pathogen. This movie is one that really makes you think about how much red tape there is for researchers when all they want to do is save lives. This is well represented in the movie when a character says when he dies he does'nt want the cause of death to be "red tape." One of the most didturbing things in the movie is the "butcher's bill," which shows the date, the number of cases and the number of deaths. The cast including Matthew Modine and Richard Gere do an excelent job with this difficult topic. ATTENTION ALL TEACHERS!!!! this is a must for a clasroom pic.
  
  
• AndThe Band Played On
  By A92BX3V3RFK66 on 2003-08-10
  I watched the movie in it's entirety. This showed how the blood industry and the politicians and the owners of the Bath Houses
  were willing to care more about the money they would lose testing
  the blood supply and closing the Bathhouses than saving lives and
  fighting for the right thing. It shows the selfishness of Dr.Gallo and the misconduct that was involved. They didn't even
  test the donors before letting them donate blood. Thus, people
  who recieved transfusions got sick and died as a result of an
  infected donor. The end tribute where all of the victims of aids
  were remembered along with a touching musical tribute from Elton
  John, and also they showed the AIDS quilt, commemorating those
  who lost the battle of AIDS.
  
  
• The world needed to know
  By A36OKUMI69UHNA on 2006-03-26
  THis is probably one of my all time favorate movies. In the early 80's no one knew a damn thing about AIDS or it's impact, which led to alot of ignorance and misconceptions. but AIDS didn't just effect the gay community, it also effected people who received a blood transfusion, and had an even bigger impact on hemophiliacs. atleast 80% of hemophiliacs contracted the diease through tainted blood products including my brother. i was one of the extremely lucky 20% who didn't contract it, because my doctor INSISTED i only receive heat treated factor. this movie covers EVERY aspect of the outbreak leaving nothing taboo. i'd reccomend it for anyone, but especialy to somone who lost a loved one to this. But be warned, i can't watch the end montage without crying. it got 5 stars cause it's the highest they have..i would have gladly given it 10
  
  
• Good Movie
  By A2FIXTN19CNA86 on 2007-02-01
  The movie was for my 11th and 12th grade classes to see how and when the HIV/AIDS was brought to national attention. Very interesting and good movie. The movie proves that AIDS has no boundaries on those who suffer from the disease. Education is our best ally.
  
  
• Incredible HIV/AIDS education!
  By A7ICD30NY3F6B on 2007-11-21
  I bought this on recommendation to show to my nursing students when we studied HIV/AIDS. We were all stunned. This is by far the BEST movie I have ever seen regarding the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It shows the first evidence that a new disease had emerged; what the CDC and others were doing to try to find out what it was; the obstacles they faced in this pursuit, and the attitudes of people and organizations, including the government, about what was going on. The struggle to contain the disease, and the 30,000 lives lost to red tape, were a real eye-opener. Is there a new disease emerging now that is being hidden for reasons unknown to the public, just as HIV was back in the 80's? After watching this, my students and I are wondering just that. I HIGHLY recommend this movie.
  
  
• Heartbreaking but Eye Opening
  By on 2001-03-17
  Even though this film may not have had the full impact of it's original version found in type, it had all the necessary ingredients to help one understand the impact of AIDS and it's debut into our society. Without films of this type, people may never understand that AIDS is not predjudice to race, religion, gender or sexual preference. No one is immune from this horrible disease and in my opinion, the purpose to educate people was accomplished. There may be other films that are more graphic or less watered down, but in the end any film about AIDS has value and should be viewed as a valuble learning tool.
  
  
• Educational
  By AO3KR806OCM3N on 2001-11-18
  I've seen this movie several times so when my daughter showed interest from viewing the DVD cover, I watched it again with her. We don't realize how little our children actually know about such concerns as AIDS/HIV until a movie like "And the band played on" explains it. My daughter was amazed at the years of research and detective work involved before this disease was even given a name. The actors did a brilliant job portraying the many involved especially Lily Tomlin and Matthew Modine. I'm glad this movie won awards because it made more people watch this riveting non-fiction masterpiece and hopefully, made more people aware of facts they otherwise didn't know. To me, the most moving part of this film is the last scene showing the blanket which travels the world and the lovely voice of Elton John singing in the background.
  
  
• A Must Have!!
  By on 2002-06-16
  This was a wonderful movie. Anyone in the social work field I highly recommend you view this movie. Matthew Modine's played his character wonderfully. I'm an Alan Alda fan and his character was very manipulative, unlike his usually fun-loving characters in other movies. A good learning experience for those wanting to be educated on HIV and AIDS. Great material for social work/sociology teachers to use as visual aid for learning about social aspects.
  
  
• Should be required viewing
  By A1P2NBM3P3TS2X on 2002-08-13
  The chilling history of the bureaucratic red tape that impeded progress in the early days of fighting the spread of the AIDS virus. This is another of HBO's excellent movies based upon real events, like "Citizen X".

  Matthew Modine heads an all-star cast. This movie will make you angry and depressed at the same time, but that shouldn't steer you away from watching it. The story is probably as important as any other story facing the world today.
  
  

• The Band Is Still Playing
  By on 2002-10-13
  This film, in my opinion, is a fantastic telling of the behind the scenes of the discovery and the eventual research of the AIDS disease and virus. It is based upon the book of the same name by Randy Shilts, and it is wonderfully acted and a superb telling of a true and heart-wrenching story. I reccommend this to anyone.
  
  
• Moving Inside Story of What Happened Behind the Headlines
  By ABAYFX0QGKED on 2005-02-05
  Those of us who were old enough remember the headlines about AIDS in the 1980's. I remember the confusion about the blood supply, that this was a "gay" disease, that it could be contracted through common household contact, the controversy over safe sex, and when Rock Hudson's diagnosis was announced, and when he died.
  
  The facts about AIDS that we take for granted now - that it is not a "gay disease", that it is a virus, that safe sex can prevent its spread - were not seen as obvious facts in the early and mid 1980's.
  
  "And the Band Played On" is the story behind the headlines, rumors and misinformation of that time.
  
  When I say behind the headlines, I mean the activities most Americans were oblivious to - the small number of health professionals realizing in 1980-1981 that people were dying of seemingly suppressed immune systems; the realization in the gay community that their members were becoming ill; and the search by the CDC to study the disease in terms of who was becoming sick, how the disease progressed, the determination that it was a virus, and plotting its course and victims.
  
  The movie is extremely well-done and well-acted. While much of the book was left out of the movie (i.e., the activities of the gay community in NYC), I think this had to be done so that this could be a movie and not a mini-series.
  
  As with the book, periodically through the movie the "Butcher's Bill" metrics are displayed ... for this date in 1984, so many cases have been diagnosed in the U.S. For the same date, so many people have died in the U.S.
  
  I watched this movie's premier on HBO. Later, when I met my husband, we came across it on HBO and watched it. He was very favorably impressed by the movie, and was struck by the periodic displays of the "Butcher's Bill". He's told his teenage son and daughter about it, we purchased it, and we've all watched it together.
  
  I highly recommend this movie. Even more highly, I recommend the book. It is one of the best works of nonfiction I've read.
  
  
  

• Philadelphia
• Longtime Companion
• And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic, 20th-Anniversary Edition
• Angels in America
• Miss Evers' Boys