Watch And the Band Played On For Free

Fantastic!

Blistering performances.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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!

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).

1993 saw two movies about AIDS. The famous one was "Philadelphia", but "And the Band Played On" is also important, focusing on the virus spreading in the '80's and how the Reagan administration acted like it didn't exist. If the movie has any problem, it's the number and range of big names. Matthew Modine as Dr. Don Francis is the nominal star, but also appearing are Alan Alda, Phil Collins, Bud Cort, Richard Gere, Glenne Headly, Anjelica Huston, Steve Martin, Ian McKellen, and Lily Tomlin, to name a few.Maybe they felt that they had to make this movie do to the fact that gays were portrayed so negatively in movies for so many years (see "The Celluloid Closet"). All in all, a very good movie. The way that Reagan denied AIDS mirrors how Bush denies global warming.

I have never watched a film that covered so much information the way that this film had. Based on years of dedicated research. Questions were now answered. Myths were put to rest and facts and not fiction was distributed to the public. I thought I knew about the early years of AIDS how wrong I was. And The Band Played On gives its viewers insights both in the medical field and into the lives of the countless people it infected and affected. It takes us down a path where young, old, poor and rich feel the deadly affect of being diagnose with HIV or AIDs in the 80's.Watching this film I became somewhat disheartened by the way the scientist fought over who would receive credit for finding the HIV virus. It is sad to know that while millions of lives were ending, politicians and some of the medical professions did not find it very important to tests the blood supplies until some one prominent was diagnose with AIDS. True to life the film delivers knock out performances by Ian McKellian, Alan Alda, Matthew Modine, Lilly Tomlin, Richard Gere, Anjelica Houstan, Phila Collins and well the lists goes on.I applaud every one who made this movie. I loved it so much I went out and bought it. This is a must see!