And the Band Played On (1993 TV Movie) User Reviews

Effective history as horror thriller and personality clash

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 6 May 2015]

This is a HBO movie about the first few years of the AIDS epidemic in America. Dr. Don Francis (Matthew Modine) is an immunologist with experience with WHO in Africa. He joins the CDC to investigate the new disease. The gay community in San Francisco led by Bill Kraus (Ian McKellen) is divided about the mysterious deaths and the fear of the new Reagan administration. Dr. Robert Gallo (Alan Alda) is the arrogant American virologist who discovers the first human retrovirus in competition with his French counterpart to lay claim and credit for the discovery.

This is a big vast complicated story. The beauty of this movie is its ability to maintain the narrative. It is a compelling watch despite the wide ranging story and the variety of characters. It is really a horror thriller at its core with AIDS as the bogeyman. The cast is deep and talented. When Gallo enters the picture, this movie transforms into a personality clash. There are many outstanding performances including Alan Alda, Saul Rubinek and the easily dismissed Matthew Modine. It would be a mistake to forget about Modine who must embody the frustration of the audience. This is a well made understandable movie of a complicated issue.

"It may seem a little hopeless." ... "That's because it is."

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 15 September 2007]

American doctors from the underfunded Center for Disease Control scramble to figure out the origin of--and the causes behind--the alarming rate of homosexual male deaths in the early 1980s. As the fatal strain of pneumonia and hepatitis B cases begin appearing, politicos in Reagan-era D. C. veto the mysterious disease as non-newsworthy; meanwhile, members of the gay community are not shown to be radically adept at helping their own cause, labeling the early cases as products of the Gay Cancer. Adaptation of Randy Shilts' frightening, groundbreaking book has an all-star cast but impresses mainly with its handling of the packed narrative, particularly when detailing the CDC's battles in coming up with an inexpensive way of filtering out contaminated blood from the National Blood Supply. Making a movie from the source material was seemingly an impossible undertaking, and yet HBO Films and co-producer Aaron Spelling manage to lay all Shilts' information out adroitly and adeptly. Some of the character interaction is awkwardly interjected, but most of the principal players do very good work with their technical roles. Alan Alda positively revels in the opportunity to play sniveling medical scientist Dr. Robert Gallo, who felt usurped when French scientists initially gained prestige for isolating the virus; as Dr. Mary Guinan, Glenne Headly does some of the best work of her career (while interviewing a sexually promiscuous airline steward, one of the earliest men to fall prey to the disease, Headly is remarkably natural and charming); and Saul Rubinek as Dr. Curran, who initiates the investigation and helps sort out all the jargon, is in masterful form. Some of the high-profile cameos stick out as artifices--such as Richard Gere's bit as a stricken choreographer--though it is commendable to see these marquee names taking part in the project. "Band" isn't compact--it isn't a quick-fix wallow or a time-filler--instead, it's a serious, frustrating, angry movie with no easy answers...and that's as it should be.

And the Band Played On

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 1 December 2013]

Document of the tragic beginnings of AIDS from when it was considered "gay cancer" and started to spread throughout the gay community (it was reputed to be especially set off in bathhouses where sexual transmission between numerous partners was the norm) killing at an alarming rate but not recognized by our government or provided proper funding for scientific research, even though it was clearly an epidemic deserving of attention. There's an emphasis on the frustrations of those working at the CDC in Atlanta (Matthew Modine, Saul Rubinek, Glenn Headly) and how a French lab is at odds with a renowned scientist's (Alan Alda; this actor is always good at playing snobbish, condescending assholes with a superiority complex) over who can "name" the AIDS virus as their own discovery (although you wouldn't think they were rivals if Alda's Dr. Gallo's "we are all getting along swell" behavior in front of the media was any indication). The film traces the virus to a flight steward with over 70 + lovers all over the world. He's interviewed by Richard Masur (part of the CDC team trying to uncover the meaning behind the virus and its origins), who successfully builds a history of where the virus starts and how it spread from the main person. …And the Band Played On is a real behind-the-curtain look at those affected by AIDS and the scientists/community so desperately wanting to understand it so its damage (or at least a method to halt its quick effects from killing those with it so soon) can be deterred. Ronald Reagan spent a considerable amount of time, when President of the United States, not even mentioning it or recognizing AIDS in the media. That frustration in Modine just to get funding so he and his team could understand the damned virus is palpable enough, but to see Alda's ego getting involved and increasing the difficulty further must enrage those who lost friends and family to AIDS. And the absence of even an electron microscope and proper lab facilities for the Atlanta CDC team shows the extreme lack of initiative by the government to study and deter AIDS establishes that so much time, important and valuable, lost in the combat against this virus is illustrated really well. A tremendous cast with the likes of Donal Logue, Richard Gere, Bud Cort, Swoosie Kurtz, and Ian McKellen as victims of the AIDS (each contributing to the fight and research against it, or abused by it), as well as, Angelica Huston, Richard Jenkins, and Steve Martin in parts revolving around the epidemic. The sheer magnitude of the ravages of AIDS is shown in "updates" as, on occasion, the director provides us with the numbers of cases reported and the victims of it. Important film that says that human beings, regardless of sexual orientation, age, or color, fell (or fall) prey to AIDS for a number of reasons, not just homosexual sex. Modine, a fine actor, excels in the lead. There's an epic scope to the film as it covers a lot of ground. The politics involved get major focus; not to mention, blood distribution led to transfusion patients getting AIDS, but the enforcement of regulatory checking of the blood for the virus needed to be addressed. This is an impassioned outcry for those undermined by the virus, and the precious lives lost because of it.

Powerful...and Important!!

[matthew-bowman · 10/10 · 4 June 2006]

And The Band Played On is an extremely powerful movie. This movie should be required viewing in any high school. The fact that it took so incredibly long for the then higher powers to admit to the existence of AIDS is stunning and sad. The performances throughout the movie were moving and effective. I thought that Sir Ian McKellan and Richard Gere represented respectfully the signs of strength and fear.

I was also disheartened to learn that throughout this tragedy, there were individuals who might have been more concerned with helping and protecting their own reputation and agenda as well as accepting the credit for their work in breaking down point by point the disease known as AIDS. Alan Alda as Dr. Gallo was fascinating. In fact all of the performances from Matthew Modine and Richard Gere to Steve Martin and BD Wong were great. The most important thing here though is the history of this disease and the hope that we can learn from it.

Excellent as was the book it's taken from

[annadams95340 · 10/10 · 11 August 2005]

I decided to watch this movie again tonight for the first time in several years. I lived in San Francisco when the epidemic began and had a first hand view of the fear, paranoia, and grief.

The movie brings back memories of worrying about my gay child and many of my friends. We attended more than a few memorial services. My son, praise be, is fine.

The best thing about watching it so many years later is to realize how far we've come since then. AIDS is no longer the death sentence it once was. The book and the film did a great deal to raise public awareness. HBO was courageous, the actors were all first class and I believe it was realistic in its portrayal of the heroes, the villains, and the public ignorance and apathy of the time.

Awesome book and movie.

[Nocgirl72 · 10/10 · 5 March 2006]

I read this book in high school in the late 80's just as it was released. The book was excellent and gave a great educational lesson on HIV and AIDS. The movie was just as good. I was really touched at the end when "The last song" by Elton John was playing. The movie gave a great time-line of the virus.

It is so terrifying to think AIDS has actually been around since probably 1959 when a blood sample from a man from the Congo had died of a mysterious illness, and tests run on the blood sample today showed he did indeed have AIDS. The movie was very touching, this whole topic leaves a lump in my throat. I was 13 when AIDS had started making the news and in 1985 or 1986 my dad had a blood transfusion. We spend months worrying if he had contracted HIV. Thank god he got clean blood and he dodged a bullet, unlike the 25,000 people in the 70 and 80's who received tainted blood.

I got teary eyed when an HIV+ guy in the movie says "This is not a political issue. This is a health issue. This is not a gay issue. This is a human issue. And I do not intend to be defeated by it. I came here today in the hope that my epitaph would not read that I died of red tape."

The predictions were accurate. The scientists predicted there would be 40 million people worldwide infected with HIV by the turn of the century and that number has proved to be pretty much dead on, literally.

If this film doesn't touch you, you have no heart

[lambiepie-2 · 10/10 · 22 September 2002]

HBO was beginning to choose projects other networks were afraid to touch. And the Band Played On is one of their all time top ten. The actors who participated in this film were only paid scale, and not a lot of money was used, but the message is the strongest. I viewed this on its premiere and couldn't sleep afterward. I view it more these days since I've had many friends die of "red tape" of AIDS.

According to this film based in Randy's book, what bothers me the most was the opportunities that existed by several people to catch this disease at various stages and it just wasn't done. Sure the government played its part, but so did commerce, so did vanity and so did the need for humans to be sexual beings.

Since the film I've read about the deaths of many as well as experienced deaths myself. One thing that stands out is "Patient Zero". The family of this gentleman has fought long and hard for that stigma to be erased. As the character says in the film: "If I got it, then someone gave it to me". I do understand terms that mark things as "the beginning" of the identified problem but with this film you will know there was a beginning BEFORE THAT beginning. Where it lies is still a mystery.

On the other hand if America could have shared information with other countries and paid closer attention we could have fought this is a world problem before it got to the point of where it did. But America was too busy allocating more money to military defense than to the medical defense.

America had discoverable AIDS cases as far back as the 1950's, but it didn't reach total epidemic status until the late 1970's early 1980's. This film brings that information out. It also brings out the information that this disease, although concentrated in the gay community, had no specific target, anyone could/would get it. The people in my life were not all homosexual who contracted the disease but a few were just receivers of blood transfusions. At the time they received the blood, the test was not developed for screening. Just like the film points out, they too (family, friends, associates) suffered.

There is so much to grab in this film, one or two viewings isn't enough. One or two pointed fingers is not the answer. It is equally as sad that almost 10 years later, I am writing this review and the band is still playing. It was my prayer that this would not be so.

Not perfect -- but necessary.

[Newsmeister75349 · 19 May 2002]

Much has been made about the "good guys" and "bad guys" portrayed in "And The Band Played On". And with good reason. I can't help wonder what personal agendas are being followed when a prominent 'real-life' scientist like Dr. Robert Gallo (Alan Alda) is portrayed in such a shallow way. But simultaneously, the filmmakers coyly hide the fact from us that Richard Gere's choreographer is "A Chorus Line" creator Michael Bennett. They withhold that information like "The Simpsons" hide which state Springfield is in. With a wink of an eye.

While these imperfections in the film can be distracting, they are also quite trivial. What many overlook is that "And The Band Plays On" is first...and foremost...a story of DENIAL.

Throughout the first act, there is a reluctance to accept the seriousness of "GRID" ("Gay Related Immune Deficiency"). Once there is no escaping the growing horror, the film accurately describes how all parties (The C-D-C, Bill Krause, gay groups, Jerry Falwell, blood banks, Gallo, The Reagan Administration, etc.) react to preserve their own best interests. And while those special interests clash on how to proceed next, thousands of helpless people keep dying. (There's your tie-in to the Titanic-inspired title).

In the spirit of Jimmy Stewart and Gary Cooper, Matthew Modine is best-suited to playing an 'everyman'. Modine's 'everyman' in this film (Dr. Don Francis)understands the growing, deadly consequences of H-I-V, but has his own ghosts to exorcise (an Ebola plague victim who grabs his wrist, covering it in blood). While Modine's character is the voice of reason, he is not immune from reacting irrationally to this plague. It is only at the end of the film, as he comforts the dying Bill Krause, that Francis begins to overcome his own fears.

The message of this film is simple: We must be "pro-active" in addressing our problems. For if we wait for a "reactive" response, the resulting panic and confusion will only make things worse. In that respect,"And The Band Plays On" is one of the most important films to be made during the 1990s. For even with it's minor distractions, inaccuracies and agendas -- it truly is "MUST SEE T-V".

A good film, despite all its flaws

[t_atzmueller · 7/10 · 1 February 2013]

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).

Remarkable, Disturbing

[jmorrison-2 · 10/10 · 18 July 2005]

Unbelievable, wrenching film. This movie is told so thoughtfully and well; the sequences are laid out thoughtfully, and this is one of those rare movies literally told from the heart. The cast is just remarkable. What a huge story to tell; this could easily have become garbled due to the overwhelming subject matter. However, it is sequenced well, and acted so well, that you sit there in astonishment that this could happen in a world full of otherwise brilliant people.

I don't know what it will take to remove political considerations from life-and-death struggles...How about we work at saving lives, and worry about who gets credit later? If someone becomes injured due to gang warfare, we don't deny them care or drag our feet because we don't agree with the gangster "lifestyle".

Absorbing, heartbreaking and touching. A fantastic and, obviously, loving job by the entire cast.

Contagious Forewarning

[Cineanalyst · 7/10 · 28 July 2020]

"This didn't have to happen. We could've stopped it."

"And the Band Played On" is a decent history of the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic in the United States (and a bit of it in France) from a medical research perspective and the related political, professional and scientific obstacles to addressing, let alone containing, the disease in the 1980s. I didn't quite expect, however, although it's the reason I viewed this now, for how much this history of the pandemic reflects the current events of the novel one the world is facing in 2020. As the movie depicts, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is underfunded and, thus, largely ineffective and sidelined as the outbreak expands out of control. In some ways, they're also slow to respond and confused, if not plain wrong, in their public messaging, including advising how the virus is transmitted. Meanwhile, some of the populace remain ill-informed. Personal prophylactic measures aren't heeded. Protesters argue their rights against calls to close public spaces where it has spread (in this case, the bathhouses of the Castro District in San Francisco). The president ignores the problem. And, all the while, many dismiss the epidemic as belonging to a discriminated-against group (here, gay men). Sound familiar?

This HBO movie is an interesting precursor in a cinematic sense as well, being a star-studded ensemble about the spread of a pandemic and with a focus on contact tracing and identification of the virus two decades before Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion" (2011). Being based on a book by journalist Randy Shifts, however, "And the Band Played On" didn't have the same dramatic license to play with facts as did the later movie. Consequently, one of the main dramatic conflicts here, involving the race for the discovery of HIV between researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, two of whom would be awarded Nobel Prizes, and Robert Gallo, who is depicted as an antagonist here, may come across as somewhat muddled and uncompelling to laymen. I, for one, sympathized with the reporter at one press conference shown when he had to ask someone what the French were accusing of Gallo (as it turns out, that he stole their work, basically). On the other hand, the movie's criticism of the big business of blood banks and their obstruction of testing donated blood for HIV--because it would cost a lot of money--is more effective.

The movie has its share of tropes, too. There are those teachable moments where characters blatantly explain things to other characters--but meant for the spectator--in the simplest terms imaginable (Lily Tomlin explaining to Charles Martin Smith at a bathhouse how all peoples like sex is the most egregious to my mind). A character watches TV where each channel he flips to happens to show a program relevant to the narrative, and he has a eureka moment observing a game of Pac-Man (Aha! Pac-Man is the virus, and he's eating T-cells--now I get it!). (Granted, this Pac-Man metaphor still works better than the one in "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" (2018), but I digress.) But, these are minor objections to what, overall, is a very watchable history lesson, and one that to its credit largely focuses on the issue from the perspective of medical research.

If you don't remember the start of the epidemic, don't comment on the movie....

[amhutchinson · 10/10 · 20 August 2006]

I've read far too many reviews of this movie that just don't seem to get it, even if they did enjoy the film. The purpose of the movie was precisely to show how the AIDS epidemics reached the stages that it did before anything was done, and how the Doctors, researchers and even the federal government and the CDC contributed as much to the progression of the disease as they did to discovering it. To state that this presentation, while not quite showing as much regarding the suffering of the early AIDS patients in some way makes "less of an impact" than it may have otherwise, is to basically state that you have no concept of what the purpose of the movie was! Anyone who actually WAS around when the AIDS crisis began can remember getting blood tests for Hepatitis, then something called HTLV III, then HIV, all with no explanation or understanding as to why. And that was only if you were giving blood! They misconceptions and fears passed on from scientists themselves made it far more difficult to actually understand what it was and how to be safe. This movie explained far better than any other resource exactly what was going on during a time when those of us who WERE alive were getting no answers at all.

So, if you're going to comment on a movie, make sure you have some idea of what the purpose of the film is before questioning the point of view of the film. This is quite possibly one of the most important films of the past twenty years BECAUSE of its point of view.

A moving treatment of a dark period

[Mr-Fusion · 7/10 · 26 April 2022]

Produced around the same time as "Philadelphia" yet with entirely different framing, "And the Band Played On" takes the medical thriller route; the gay community here are victims of some nebulous viral beast, as well-meaning scientists go against a cruelly indifferent bureaucracy. Actually nailing down the cause of AIDS was an unnecessarily uphill battle . . . But then again, where's the profit in all of this testing? It's all a sick joke.

I enjoyed this movie; it was far more thought-provoking than I'd expected (I dunno, with a cast that's full of a-listers like this, I tend to be way of awards-baiting) and there's a journalistic intent that keeps you invested while these doctors track down patient zero.

If nothing else, it is a stark reminder of this nation's wildly different attitudes toward the gay community in the early '80s. Between the abysmal messaging of the "gay plague" and the criminally underfunded CDC, this period was a black mark on the Morning in American sentiment.

Compelling subject, but not well told

[MattB-5 · 3/10 · 24 December 1999]

The sad and tragic development of this terrible disease is certainly a good subject for a great movie, but this is not it. Modine was not a good choice, and the movie does not grab you like it should. Also, it is too easy to paint the government so broadly as the bad guy, governments and big businesses act slowly due to inertia and soul-draining bureacracy, not always out of homophobia. Also, the responsibility of the gay community itself should not have been soft-pedaled, they 'played on' too long as well as others, namely the refusal to accept and deal with the risk brought on by promiscuous lifestyles within their community. A better and more powerfully written script and acting combined with a more honest and courageous examination of the early days of aids could have achieved greatness.

Amazing movie

[jmcadams3 · 10/10 · 22 November 2005]

See this film. If necessary, discard your personal religious/philosophical/political prejudices and see it for what it is: an incredibly heartwrenching account of a modern epidemic. Strong performances all-around, Modine, Gere, McKellan, et al. This movie makes me weep every single time I see it. Not tear up, WEEP. Some have stated that the political flavor is a bit too leftist for their tastes, or that the movie makes Don Francis out to be a hero, and villanizes the government. I find this amusing since the only mention of the government is that Reagan didn't say the word AIDS for years, which is a complete truism. And Don Francis, though he strives to help as much as possible, certainly is not the classic "hero" as he does not save the day (an impossibility since this particular day has yet to be saved). He merely works, like many others, as hard as he can while fighting a losing battle.

This is not a political issue. This is a health issue. This is not a gay issue. This is a human issue.

[film-critic · 22 September 2004]

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 *****

A film that should be mandatory for everyone to watch.

[azanti0029 · 10/10 · 9 November 2012]

And the Band Played On, essentially a drama documentary about the battle against one of greatest destructive forces man kind has ever faced and based on the book of the same name. Criminally, this film was all but overlooked in the UK on the time of its release, which was a complete travesty. Unfortunately it came out in the same year as the Tom Hanks vehicle, Philadelphia, which overshadowed any other film on the same subject, but arguably this film is also not only more important, but I would suggest more informative and ultimately more tragic and far more moving than the sentimental yet worthy Hanks/Washington effort.

At the time with its chronological depiction of the unfolding of the AIDS crisis in America in the early 1980s this film received Luke warm reviews and a limited cinema release in the UK in 1993, but following the death of my cousin in 1991, I was keen to see it, and made the effort. When I came out of the cinema I was numb, angry and given a thirst for knowledge on the film. I immediately purchased the book by Randy Shilts, which told the story on a far wider perspective and from many more angles. One of those that were dropped were the perspectives of the Gay men from New York who made up its then social elite and enjoyed their summers on Fire Island. However, one can see that with the films limited budget and running time decisions had to be made to determine what were the right choices to take from the book, that would work effectively and distill into a manageable story. Fortunately all the choices made here, were the right ones.

The story switches successfully between the small group of Doctors at the CDC working to combat the virus from day one in appalling conditions with little or no help from an uncaring Reagen era Adminstration who showed disgusting indifference at the events that were unfolding before them - and the group of Gay Activists that began to form in San Francisco who were having their own troubles convincing the gay community to unite under one banner against a disease that no one wanted to admit might be advancing rapidly in their own community through promiscuity. These difficult and complex subjects are well complimented by stock news footage of the time and the superb leading cast, all excellent, without exception are backed by all manner of big names in key supporting roles. (A worthy commitment from all those involved who did the film for basic scale pay) Director, Spottiswoode handles very moving scenes with great care and has the camera linger at all the right moments. Special mention must go to Lawrence Moonsoon, who deftly handles a dying mans confused re-collection of how his lover and friends died, to Swoozie Kurtz in the scene where her and her husband discover by accident she has been exposed to the virus through a blood transfusion. Ian McKellen is brilliant as gay activist Bill Krause, who tries to convince his own community to act before they have no community left

Mathew Modine anchors the piece nicely as a doctor fighting the bureaucracy and sheer stupidity in a race against time to save lives as more and more Americans drop by the wayside. The subplot involving Doctor Gallo (Alan Alda) who tried to sideline the French and claim discovery of the virus gives real insight into the disgusting level of politics that went on even among health professionals during this critical time.

This is a movie that every teenager in every school should be made to see, not only for the benefit of their own sexual health, but to honour those like Bobbi Campbell (Played by the brilliant Donal Logue) who stood up to be counted in their battle against the virus. It gives a brilliant overview of what happened back in the 1980s and the film has aged well and still stands up today, making it one of the most important films about the AIDS virus ever made.

Prehaps it is time for a bigger budget mini-series which could cover the Eastern Coast perspective of the book, so as to not repeat all the same characters and material.

For anyone with the slightest interest in this subject, this film is a must watch but I would go one stage further and say, that it is a film everyone should see in their life time, even if its not going to be the easiest two hours of your life.

Very Powerful

[Sergiodave · 9/10 · 16 March 2021]

First saw this in the states about 25 years ago. I cannot think of a better TV movie. Incredibly powerful, maddeningly frustrating and very tearful. If you don't shed a tear at the final montage with a song from Elton John then you have no pulse. The cast is about as good as you can get, the charting of the history of AIDS, both medical and political is heart-breaking accurate, and overall, hopefully this will leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth. A fantastic staged documentary.

A moving part of history and made into a great movie

[secondtake · 8/10 · 15 November 2015]

And the Band Played On (1993)

A vivid, well-acted tracing of the history of AIDS from the point of view of epidemiology. That sounds boring, but just the opposite. The intense pressure on the early researchers is part of the drama. And the injustice of the politics getting in the way is important. Most of all, of course, is the terrible suffering of the victims, which is a small but key part of the story.

All of this is really well done, no fat to the story, moving along and keeping the progression of events clear. I resisted watching this for a long time thinking it would dry, or that the story is well known and would offer no surprises, but I enjoyed it all.

The director, Canadian Roger Spottiswoode, has done nothing else on this impressive scale. Even working with the stellar cast (many famous actors with small roles, and a couple, like Alan Alda, more prominent) requires a kind of juggling and intelligence that's great to watch. Is the movie perfect? In a way, yes, given the choice of subject matter.

It was ok but it just didn't seem clear to me

[Irishchatter · 7/10 · 7 March 2018]

Now I've seen in the reviews section of this movie, that people who won't get this movie, doesn't have a heart. I do and I did find this heartbreaking even if this movie wasn't clear for me to understand. I just thought the movie was rather too long and I just couldn't understand what the characters were saying. I have tried to look at some of the scenes again for the second time from the film and I still didn't quite get what the characters were on about. Yes all this relates to aids but I understand there is more then this film can offer. I just didn't get it even if they pushed Richard Gere into it. All I can say here is that not everyone will understand this film and we should accept it!

Disturbing.

[Susie-7 · 8/10 · 4 August 1999]

I found this movie to be profoundly disturbing, simply because everything in it is true. What is also disturbing is that the bureaucracy and obscene concern with politics and public image that are so frustrating to the protagonists in this story have not changed. In an interesting coincidence, earlier in the night that I saw this movie on tv, I saw a story on Dateline NBC on Don Francis, the outspoken researcher and I guess activist, due to what he runs up against. In the report, Dr Francis discussed the problems he has had getting funding from the US government to test an AIDS vaccine, despite an AIDS vaccine supposedly being the most important avenue for research. The government (according to Dr Francis) basically said that successful research on chimps and the like did not constitute enough proof of success to warrant human trials; the question that then begs to be asked is what WOULD be enough proof, if animal research is not good enough and testing cannot be done on humans? The US government has only very recently (I believe Dr Francis said he hit upon the vaccine in 1994 or so) decided to chip in some money, though only a small portion of the cost, to test the vaccine, after Dr Francis managed to raise millions of dollars himself and had begun human trials. A person wonders what will happen if- or more likely when- another horrific disease develops and starts claiming human lives.

Also, as a Canadian with poor health herself (though fortunately nothing even close to being as serious as AIDS), I find it unconscionable and difficult to understand why a country with more money than basically every country in the world does not provide health care on a socioeconomically blind basis. Never mind AIDS- there are so many treatable ailments that people come down with but can't recover from because they don't have insurance or whatever, and it makes me sick to think that people die from something we CAN fix because some big whigs in Washington are too, I don't know, greedy or ignorant or prejudiced to recognise the horror of what these people go through, or the financial burden it creates when these people do get treatment and end up sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and have their house taken away and their children's college funds drained and the like. Basically every country in the Western world provides full (for the most part) medical coverage for every one of its citizens. Maybe the US government should spend less money on missiles and more on medical treatment and research. Maybe they should focus their attention on saving lives instead of destroying them.

But enough of my little diatribe. The point is that this movie points out so many of the flaws that exist in the way the government operates. This movie was not made to be ignored or to enjoy like it's some meaningless Ace Ventura or Batman movie. This movie has a strong message that seems to have been basically pushed aside by the very people it needs to affect. I'd like to think the future will be different, but i have my doubts.

Life is what happens

[raulfaust · 6/10 · 2 February 2014]

I began watching this movie not knowing if this would be a fiction drama or a documentary involving everything that happened with AIDS in the nineties. The get go made me believe it would show the beginning of the disease's discovery, and would later focus on the bad lifestyle one or other character would face. However, "And the Band Played On" never decides where it wants to focus. Most of the time it gave me the idea that they wanted to show the political conspiracies that involved the subject-- and they really do that--, but there is too few about the lives of those who got infected. When director shows the political arguments between the important people involved in the problem, we aren't able to know whether he's telling a real story or not. The movie ends and we-- I, at least-- don't know if it really happened that way or not. That's why I think this could have been much better. I'm giving it 6 stars in respect of those who find the theme extremely delicate-- maybe due to personal problems-- and for the brave people involved in the project, but I'm not recommending it anyhow, since I believe there are better works involving such subject out there. If you know any, please let me know!

"And the Band Played On" is an IMPORTANT Movie that is STILL Relevant today.

[GingeryPsychNP · 10/10 · 1 August 2020]

I've watched this movie before, and I was just as disheartened this time as I was when I watched it the first time. Countless lives lost in the name of beauracracy and red tape. It seems as if we're destined to repeat history. Once again, even though for different reasons, another health crisis has been politicized. There are so many parallels between then and now that it is scary. Will we ever figure it out? Oh....The Irony......

An AIDS-themed movie better than expected

[marekoropallo · 7/10 · 15 July 2019]

Despite the usual problems of a collective and "celebrative" movie (too many storylines, colder overall impression, etc) the target of showing the initial difficulties in the war to HIV is reached

Bad acting, bad writing, totally contrived... Doctors talking like teenagers

[excalibur212 · 2/10 · 8 January 2006]

I was really disappointed to see how badly this movie was made. Obviously it was well received because of the subject matter, not due to the quality of the film itself. I lived and worked in Atlanta and have been to the CDC, and I can assure you no Georgians talk like the characters in this movie (mostly badly cast New York actors, with people like Richard Gere and Steve Martin brought in to do cameos). But this movie is just plain badly made, even for a TV movie. All the "stand up and shout" moments are clichéd one-liners ("How many people have to die before this disease is recognized?" "Do you mean to tell me, that they knew they were giving AIDS to people, and they continued to do it?" etc). At one point the researcher is drawing on a chalkboard and checking off items as if he's explaining it to a soccer mom, when the other character (supposedly another doctor) obviously wouldn't need the dumbed-down version the writers think the audience requires. It was like watching a bad play. I wish I knew of better AIDS movies out there. This is a really bad movie.