Film 1070 in room 172 of the Administration building at SLCC is constructed of, give or take, 503 bricks on all four walls and 212 ceiling tiles. Ok I’m lying, but only because the dim light blurred the lines making it impossible to count the individual bricks on the adjacent walls from me.
Yes, there were numerous occasions in that movie where I considered counting bricks. I definitely stared at the ceiling more than the movie. Now let me exaggerate by saying that I could have filmed and produced that movie in forty-five minutes flat and still get the point a crossed.
I suppose that I am drawn to poetry, because a true poet can describe a movement, a place in time and build a character in a dozen lines or a few stanzas. It took this guy six hours to get the point across and then drug it out for another ten minutes at the end of the movie.
That being said, there was some pretty damn good dialogue going on in that movie. The Script was neatly constructed and very articulate. I was impressed, especially with the black male nurse. I forget what they called him. His character was very intelligent yet arrogant. And the actor did a great job playing the part. He was my favorite too watch.
WOW is all I can say. I still didnt really understand all the stuff that was going on in this movie. I can say that I didnt like it at all there was a lot of things that just made me feel kind of sick. I did not like how pryor said that if God ever comes back we should sue him for abandoning us. I am LDS and totally believe that if any one did the abandoning it was Pryor, not God. Pryor abandoned the way of Gods plan marriage should be between a man and a woman. I felt bad to see him suffer so much with the disease of AIDS and I feel bad for all those who do suffer with that sickness. I would hope to see the United States one day find a way to cure that disease. This film overall was just long, but had some good points and some bad. I wont ever watch it again.
yeah that was the stupidest movie i have ever seen. i dont even know if stupidest is truly even a word but thats ok if its not it should be, and the description will tell you to watch this movie. I second jared's opinion because there were some times in that movie where i thought i was goinog to start counting bricks and celing tiles. I really think they could have cut out around oh lets say half of it and i would have not missed anything. the overall movie was pretty decent though i never thought so many people would be affected by aids and how damaging it could be. i know that i am never going to recommend this movie to anyone. i just hope we watch a cool movie on thursday!
well after seeing the second part of this film i feel basically the same as i did after the first part.. bemused, unimpressed, and a bit confused. the spectrum of the film covers a completely biased view of those who do not support gay marriage. it is a radical left wing film plain and simple. to me the dialogue and symbolism were a great cover up for this biased folly of a production. one thing it did portray decent im sure, was the struggle of homosexualtiy in LDS culture. however the film makes it seem as if there is no way out, no other option than to give in to desire, no other option than to LEAVE YOUR WIFE and "discover your true self." ridiculous. this film was an eye opener of the ignorance and anger many (not all) of the homosexual community seem to share.
In starting this post I made one crucial error, I read the other students post before posting my own. I began the aforementioned tragedy thinking that I may get some helpful insight that may improve my understanding of the movie. Instead, once again, I end up feeling extremely depressed, at the very least we could show a small amount of respect to the creators who worked so hard and undoubtedly poured a lot of themselves into this film, and not to mention to our teacher for the work and effort that has gone into making this class fun and easy for us. I am so sick of hearing that you're are Mormon and that's why you can't take anything meaningful away from the films. Counting bricks? I feel like I'm the only one not in on a very bad joke. Anyway, I loved Harper's role as the out of touch Mormon house wife, I dated an LDS girl for a number of years and I got to witness, first hand, her transformation from a smart, funny, down to earth girl into a self involved lunatic thanks to the help of perscription drugs. Not to mention my own experience with those particular types of medication. Trying to fit into an unrealistic idea of what reality is, is something that many people, myself included, can relate to. I thought the end of the movie dragged a little. I found a hard time relating to god's abandonment of mankind, not because of any religious belief I just found it unrealistic, it seems to me God could have very easily remedied the situation by taking away some of the angels 8 vaginas. I really enjoyed Al Pacino's portrayal of Roy Cohn. I have loosely followed the Reagan era and also the systematic dismantling of the popular workers movements in the decades before. Roy represents a culture that has been responsible for some of the worlds worst atrocities, but at the same time facilitated some amazing economic growth. Liberals are idealists, I sympathize with his cutthroat Darwinian philosophies. Progress comes at a cost, and the wake of Roy Cohn's life is representative of that cost. I am still developing my ability to articulate the more abstract ideas and different connections throughout the movie. I did come to a more thorough grasp of "change" as a driving force but am struggling to find the meaning in that. Maybe it is this, I believe that the main point meant to be driven home is that change isn't always perfect, but when you consider the other options, staying still, we have no other choice.
Okay so in my mind this was 6 hours of BULLSHIT!!! The first half of the movie was boring enough, then the second part just murdered it all together. I would never recommend this movie to anyone, because over all I hated it, I mean yeah it has some good points and some bad, that would make you want to throw up, for example whenever two guys would kiss, but what Im trying to say is for god sake they could have said everything they had to say in about an hour and a half or less. Therefore, on thursday I am really hoping to see something cool and of my interest.
I would think that this movie was designed to have that much communication among the characters, but six hours of continuous chatter was very hard to keep our attention on. Anyways, the main point to this movie I still have no clue to what he was trying to achieve with it. I did like in the film however to see the struggle's within the characters. For example, the LDS man is always trying to fight off his internal feelings for what he was raised to be right and socially acceptable. We also get to see Prior struggling with his disease and abandonment. I am not sure what the angels in the movie have to do with anything besides to portray Prior's struggle to find something past his life on earth. In the movie however, he seems to argue with them and disagree the majority of what they say, so I assumed that he is rejecting what the majority of people believe will happen after they pass on. The only entertainment in this movie was Al Pacino's character. His story was the best to watch because there are people just like him in our world that we can relate to today. I also like how he is not always bitching about stuff, and for the most part is keeping his personality through out the movie, which was hilarious the whole time. I did not find a connection from character to character, besides the drug problems with Harper and Prior. To me it seems like there were just alot of bitching going on and six hours of it, was pretty hard to stay focused to. I was hoping that the movie would give us some sort of closure or purpose for this film, but at the end it left us with Harper on a plane starting a new life, but still a little insane. Then the rest of the cast talking have fun, still being themselves. I guess the only conclusion that we get is they finally accepted what was going on in their lives and were able to keep on living.
Not much a fan of the movie considering I spent most of the second half wondering what I was going to have for dinner or what problems I would encounter at work...
I was actually relieved I had to leave early to go to work. YAY! But I just really think that even though this was a mini series it was still to long... Holy Crap! No movie should ever be that long unless it is GOOD! It dealt with some hard hitting issues that to be carried out in such a lengthy manner is just aggravating to watch... It's like ok! We get it. A guy with aids and a sack of shit boyfriend, an ass hole Roy Cohn, the mormon couple where the husband is gay and the wife is unloved.... You set up the whole movie so fast and just went off of what ya had! UGH!
It was interesting in the fact I didn't really mind the movie at first, but the more we watched it the more unattached I was to it.
I know why it is controversial, but I am making it controversial to myself cause of how LONG it was.
It didn't really spark any feelings of controversy in me though... I mean I see where it is, but it really didn't get me going... Just too long
While this film did have some interesting dialogue and characters, some scenes would drag on over time. I thought the story of Roy Cohn to be the most interesting one, because he did not consider himself a homosexual even though he was. He discriminated against them and I could see how the character of Joe was a lot like Roy but in a sort of closeted way, Joe also discriminated against homosexuals in court, to him it was basically alright to discriminate as long as your doing it legally. Joe's life was based on rules and everything considered "proper" as opposed to Roy Cohn who's life was also based on rules but did not mind breaking them in order to get what he wanted. I liked how Roy sees in Joe a "protege" that he wants to shape into an image of himself and is later enraged with Joe when he tells him that he's been living with a man for the past month. That showed me how much Roy had hoped to keep his "legacy" of hate in Joe but was dissappointed to see Joe become open about his homosexuality, something that Roy knew would not allow him to continue on as he had hoped. I liked that amongst all of the hate and rejection going on in the story, AIDS attacks everyone alike. We're all the same in the end, just my thought.
Wow, lots of predictable hate of this movie. At the guy who mentioned wanting to puke every time two guys kissed, guess what, we developed eyelids. Learn to use them. In my opinion, this film had decent acting all around. It did drag on, especially at the end. I believe the movie was done about a half hour before it actually was and the characters talking to you felt stupid and uninspired. I hate when movies break the fourth wall, like they are trying to shove information down your throat that they couldn't get out because they weren't clever enough to get it across another way. I found Prior's reaction to his "prophecy" was somewhat interesting but I found the way he "denied" it really stupid, and also found that whole subplot annoying.
Ok it took me awhile to finally get some of the movie, i still did not get it all. There were a lot of philosophies involved that I did not get it. But all in all, i got that is about change, about life struggles that happens like or not, and the fact that we can not stop moving, life goes on and we have to keep up with it. To tell the truth I felt really bad for Harper in the movie, her life really sucks, and what she went through was a huge struggle that I do not know how would I handle it. But in the end she sees a light for a change, for a starter of a new life.I think that was my favorite part in the show, to see how much struggles she went through and then her changes to a better life. We all have problems in different ways and we can not just stop and no progress, we have to keep moving.
HOLY SHETTT... This movie is F She F she He F him.all of us that is Ok. the freedom of choice, land of the freedom home of the brave. Freedom of speak and We have equal opportunity of the Goid. HOLY Ass Hole, HAY, IF this happen to our children. We would be terrific,don't we? and Bite the shet out from him or she. you know what we did. from the only gay school. they take over the school. we might have to make the another surgical asses. You know.. the ideal is.. It is the bring them the land called the Liberty Country find the island in Alantic ocean and them these people do the thing that they wents. Let them live togther and every in the world they want as long they live in a Boundary line. KIDDING LYING,impossible and hell of ridicurous. What kind of human is that, to live under condition. Why would we here any way? This movie ended up better then I though and more respect and understand the purposes of them. The determination to surviver from the AID for 5 years of ROY...
an interesting concept. That God abbandoned us and we should sue. If we win that suit (which we won't) can I have eternal life. too bad it went nowhere with it, it at least could have done the whole God is evil or amoral but in this he is non-existant and not my choice for a good story. Oh and after the first half the hallucinations got really boring except for the ones with Al Pachino and that dead chick. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to kick ass and play childrens card games and I'm all out of ass.
This movie was a definite shocker at some points. I like how Prior had his vision and overcame everything and how Louis got what was coming to him, same with Joe he just needs to pick boys or girls and stick with one anyone who matters won't care anyways. As for Harper I wish I could do what she did leave and fulfill my dreams would be amazing. I think it had a really good message and showed how life is like for every person in any of those situations.
This film almost put me into sleep. I still don't know what is the purpose of this film. A dying lawyer who don't have a clean mouth. Bunch of the guy whom want to solve an mix up relationship. An idiot who won't think a way to solve his marriage until it's not for him to decide and regret forever. All of this put together are just confuse to me.
My favorite part is when the guy who say what he think about god and sue it(the god in the bible). It is a little ridiculous of course, because I've never heard this kind of idea before and never think there's the point of it. In the other hand, we don't know how to make this crazy event become real yet. (In the bible, why dose god keep devil which is it's failure created toy alive? And why dose god allow the sin to pass on to the new born life who wasn't have anythings to do with Adam and Eve's disobey sin? Why do we must have sin? What do we have to do with the crime which Adam and Eve has done? Why it keep the suffering going. Dose it just like devil, love to playing with us like we a nothing but a toy?)
I don't have a whole lot to say about the ending of Angels in America. I think I said a lot of what I thought in my first post. My thoughts mostly remain the same. I agree with many that 6 hours for that story was way long, however I wasn't counting bricks or ceiling tiles. The movie was still able to keep me somewhat interested, that or maybe I was just on the edge of my seat scared for the next dude on dude sex scene.
I did however enjoy the ending. It's nice to see people who deserve to be happy ending up being happy. All I have to say though, is poor poor joe. Women don't want him, men don't want him. There aren't a lot of places left for him to go. So In summary, it was an incredibly long movie, I won't ever watch it again, but it did keep me interested enough to watch it all the way through this one time.
According to the second link, this movie was described as a fantasia... I You Tubed the fantasia in G or whatever, and all i heard was random noise. A fantasia is defined as a free composition structured according to the composers fancy... That is the only way I can describe this film. It was a random mosaic made from pieces of the authors mind, opinion and lack of respect for the sacred.... I feel that the author took several things very sacred to a certain religion and made them ridiculous... but I am choosing to look at it from a positive point of view and say " to each his own." and let it be... I think this movie would have been better if it left out all the angel hoop-lah and dead ancestors visiting at night. although u thought the Ethyl Rosenberg visiting was done tastefully. The rest of the film I would say was interesting and somewhat entertaining... (remember that this was a miniseries and was probably shown at hour length intervals and also may have had commercial breaks) I loved the character Belize... I thought he was the responsible person in the film and was left to pick up all the pieces in the end... I thought Al Pacino did a fantastic job! (no wonder he won an award for it) I sympathize with Harper's character and how she was driven to abuse pills. I personally wouldn’t blame her for feeling undesirable to her own husband. I'm surprised she stayed faithful... maybe if she wasn't high all the time she wouldn't have. I enjoyed the ending but I thought it was odd how Pryor addressed the camera at the end as if talking to an audience that just appeared, but again it goes with that fantasia bit... Overall, ok movie, sometimes too graphic, a bit strange... ok a lot of strange! Will not see again...
This movie was a severe waste of time and energy. I say energy because it took all of my energy to watch the projector screen instead of watching my fingernails grow. I was very disappointed at how stupid this movie was. It had a good message but 6 hours of that shit is more than enough.
Way too long!!!! and confusing and weird! I did not like this movie and it could have been a lot shorter and still told the whole story. I thought this movie was weird with the hallucinations and sad with the AIDS. I thought it was disturbing and would not recommend it.
I found thise movie to be of the wall. I think that they could have summed the movie a lot short then they did. I find it to be to long. It was interesting to see all the comparisents with characters, and how they relate to each other. I could see how much of a jerk Roy Cohn was. I guess he got what he desereved.
I didn't really get this movie at all, I get the point that yes you can live for awhile even with a terminal illness, you can be gay and be proud of it, lover's can become enemy later, and religion can't stand in the way of your sexuality...Hmm did I just pretty much sum up this whole movie.
I'm totally confused with the how the movie is portrayed and directed. This movie sucks and it took forever to get the point across! This movie just dragged on and on!
The first half of the movie seemed very long and dragged on. The second half did the same. The acting was good. The way the characters played multiple roles was interesting. But honestly, that was it. I agree with many here that the movie was too long and it dragged on. It wouldnt be a movie I would watch on my own. The issue with AIDS, homosexuality, and Mormons, and how all the characters connected together was quite far-fetched. The scenes with Joe explicitly showing that he is homosexual by kissing, stripping off his clothes, and always proclaiming is love was not pleasing to see or hear. Im glad the movie is done and over with.
So after seeing the first part of Angels in America, I thought to myself: "Alright this first part was long, confusing, and a little over dramatic. BUT hopefully the second part makes answers all the questions I have and makes more sens!" Now after seeing the second part of the film, I thought to myself: "Alright the second part was LONG, confusing, and really over dramatic, and still none of my answers were answered."
I didn't get anything out of this film in the form of entertainment. Ya I laughed in a couple of parts but after 6 hours it seemed like the movie was going on forever! As soon as a saw the last scene when all the characters were by the fountain, I was relieved! But damn did every individual character had to share there words of wisdom. Didn't we already hear that through the whole movie?
I must admit I did like the topics of the movie. AIDS, religious conflict, and the struggles of homosexuals in the 1980's, just to name a few. IT was just too long.................! After awhile you begin to loose the audience attention, which I think happened in this film.
I am posting a second time to remind everyone that this "movie" was aired on HBO as a six part series, each an hour long, and likely separated by a week or more. The dragging on, and ridiculous length doesn't show poor direction, just poor presentation, as it was not intended to be watched in one (or even two) sittings.
What a waste of time, money, life etc. not only for us who have had to watch this movie but all those who participated in the making or funding of it. I thought this class might have been an opportunity to better understand other people, culture and lifestyles but the more I learn about "diverse lifestyles" the more thankful I am not that” diverse”. I am not nearly as confused as those who are influenced by this crap. Diversity seems to have become a metaphor for confusion. So far this class has not provided any clarity or understanding on any of these controversial topics but has rather attempted to put into question all of the time tested high moral and social values that this nation was founded on. Ever heard the phrase “If you can’t dazzle em with discernment baffle em with bullshit”. It’s kinda like thinking your life has to much drama and then catching an episode of Jerry Springer. All of the sudden you realize you are totally normal. Both this movie and the last temptation of Christ are made and enjoyed by the utterly confused part of humanity that has no direction in life and enough money to glorify it. Christ knew exactly who he was, what his mission was, and exactly how to accomplish it. Angels in America is just another high budget, over choreographed example of how the totally confused wealthy homosexual community goes about spreading its gender confusion. The special effects, acting, dialog humor etc. were of course quite good (what else do you expect when Hollywood’s elite left wingers want to advance their agenda and smear the LDS church) but I could have thought of a million other topics to spend that time and money on that would have actually been inspiring, uplifting and motivational rather than depressing, perverted, disgusting, demoralizing and de-motivational. Did anyone else notice how everyone was totally quiet, uninspired and somber after the movie? The classroom emptied in a matter of seconds because most of us couldn’t wait to get the hell away from that feeling the movie left us hanging with. I mean does anyone really want to sit there watching explicit gay bum jugging and listening to people whining and crying over stupid choices? I expected the gay/ homo topic to arise but honestly only showed up for the credit. This nation was founded on fundamental Christian values. (I wonder why this nation continues to go downhill as fast as those values are thrown out?) Hmmm. Other nations have been founded on other values. Why have we prospered and been so successful? Another Hmmm. If homos want all of the same benefits that the founding fathers of this or any other nation establish why don’t they found their own nation where they can establish their own values and live by their own standards (homoland) j/k. Ok enough said. I really don’t hate homos or any other nation, race, gender etc. but I do have my own opinion on the practice of it and more especially the public exposure of it. Can’t wait to get to the next topic!
ok first of all i will be the black sheep here and say that i loved this movie. although it was long, it had to be as long as it was to get all of the points across. there is no way you could cut all of that down to 2 hours and still get all of the info. Saying the movie was too long and it could have been condenced is like saying the bible is too long and boring and should have been condenced down to a couple of hundered pages.
Hello. God abandoned us huh? I suppose it is possible in some ways if we were truly causing pain and destruction to his world. The question, I think, is not would God abandon us but why? Would the reason truly be our want to learn or to grow or move that would cause God to abandon us? I doubt that would be it. My guess for his abandonment would be our asking him to leave.
As a nation, even in some cases a world, we are constantly pushing God out of our government, schools, and entertainment. Perhaps our continuing to deny his existence and asking him to be out of our business is what caused him to leave.
What I did like about this movie, is the humanity. Perhaps it is to be thought that if we caused God to abandon us, by any means, then we will have to be self dependent. The problem is as humans we make mistakes. All of these characters are real and have real lives. Not all the endings are happy. These characters, though, showed a determination to be happy in a world where God seems distant and to that I commend them.
The movie was good. You can take what you want from the movie as a message and everyone's message will be different because of their background.
I love the posts that have been translated from some asian language into English. I seriously was cracking up over them. Not to say that i can speak a single word of chinese, japanese, korean, etc...So kudos to them for trying, but i just found it hilarious. Im simple minded, i laugh at simple things.
About the film it sucked, i was bored to tears. I was disgusted. I could have made a better film with 400 dollars, a pack of slim jims, a shotgun, and some fireworks.
Can I ask the question why any of you who are commenting on this film can suggest that the movie had to do with gay marriage? When the hell was it mentioned in the movie? Oh it wasn't was it. So quit talking about the movie like it had shit to do with gay marriage. Well anyways yeah the movie was pretty lame but I mean come on its probably the best movie out there on the subject of AIDS and homosexuality at least its not sad and depressing. Its boring for the most part a few good scenes but that's how half of the movies out there are anyways. I will definitely be good if I never have to watch it again. Also I cant understand why anyone is offended that Joe the Mormon turns out to be gay. No one says anything really offensive to the LDS religion in the film. Unless for some reason you think its offensive that an LDS person can be gay and of course and if that is the case then you have some real issues and should probably take an anthropology class or something.
As for the mirroring of characters I could see their similarities and all that but really what is the point of that? I really hated the fact though that in the end of the movie the characters talked directly to the audience I really cant stand that when characters in movie talk directly to the audience.
As with many others. I dont really have much to say. I agree that Roy Cohn is an ass. Just out for his own good. Until the end when he realizes there is something more than himself.
The part I found most interesting was the Mormon Mother that comes to the big city, hates it, but ends up staying. She expresses through subtle hints that she is not okay with homosexuality and finds out that her son is actually affiliated with something she has been raised to think of as not acceptable. Sound farmiliar... Oh wait. We are still dealin with this years later... lame i know.
definetly better than the first half. Alot of symbolism. great acting over all it was good to watch this i wouldn't consider it a waste of time. Roy Cohn is a jackass through both parts, but most the other characters develop and change for the better through out the course of the movie. Theres good in everyone whether or not they're gay
After watching the movie in it's entirety I found it to be very interesting. Just the dialogue alone was pretty complex and strong willed that it made you follow it and interpret it with your own definitions. For instance, when Prior is having his 'dream' where he even says some of the things in life that he had once enjoyed seemed to have almost no purpose as his illness reached a drastic point but in the long run, the movie shows his character getting stronger and realizing that there is more to life than just setting in on reality. That may sound a little of a stretch but it's true. He knows he has a fatal and terminal disease but he is living his life as he can and taking in almost everything to a greater light than he maybe would have before. The movie overall showed great triumph for some characters in facing their situations and not only accepting what they have been brought with but handling it in a very great way for some. overall i did enjoy the movie and it was one that did leave you thinking which are the kind of movies i enjoy.
Roy Cohn may have been an ass, however, Al Pacino put on a stellar performance. In my opinion the gay black dude's description of heaven was the best part of the movie. You could make a whole movie of Al Pacino's hell! Oh, wait! "Devil's Advocate". I just like it when you're watching a movie, and through the characters dialogue you can use your own imagination to paint the picture.
I think that breaking the 4th wall at the end of this flic was a big mistake. It made me think... "God, that was really, really gay."
I like second part of movie better than first one. But this is movie is really complicated and to understand more, I need to watch more than once( I do not think I will watch this movie again). Like everyone said Roy is a not good guy from beginning to end.It is sad that there are rich people like him. There are lots of people who need the medicine and I want to become person who can share those with others even though I need those pills. I do not know how it is like to face with some disease that will cause you death. I am afraid of death and people's death. It was weird to me that they put LDS people in that movie. Since LDS does not believe in gay, I was not expecting those people involved in this movie. Even though, this movie was not the type of movie I want to watch, I really loved thier opening music.
I probably should have made my first post before watching the second half of the movie. I'm pretty sure some of my thoughts ran together...oh well. What stuck out to me most about the second half of the movie was first, I was still just as confused during the second half as I was for the first half. Second, is that apparently Joe is the bad guy. If you think about it, out of 6 of the major characters, he was the only one that didn't have words of wisdom to throw out to us at the end of the movie. The message, overall, had good points...but not 6 hours of good points. And the whole angel sex scene was bizarre. I felt, that of all the movies I've watched in this class, that this was the one I learned the most from (once I started to understand a little of what was going on).
Just as a side note (in response to Randy's presentation post) the movie was shown exactly as it was aired and exactly as the play was staged. The play/movie is divided into two parts. Millenium Approaches and Perestroika. Each half is approximately three hours long. The only difference between how we viewed it in class and how it was aired and staged is that you wouldn't have had to wait a week in between. Oh and the play would have had a 15 min. intermission each night (around the third act). Anyway, I just wanted to clear that up.
The second part of this movie was just as crazy as the first part and just as long but luckily it ended happy. No one died except that old guy that made me feel better. Pretty much I hate and like this movie. I hate the weird hallucinations and I really hate Luis and Joe. But as it finally concluded and everyone ended up where they should be I kinda liked it. I was glad all the guys were still friends and friends with the mom too. I liked how Harper got out of there. Belize was the most entertaining character for me to watch. He was smart but friendly and I loved the way he did everything. THe movie was too long for the simple point but at least it had a decent ending.
I only read a few of the post on this blog and am relieved to see that I'm not the only who still doesn't know what exactly is going on. This movie was just too much for me. You cant put that any ideals and philosophies into a SIX hour film and expect that the audience will understand it all. The movie was long slow and drug out yet I was interested in it. Once was deffinately enough as I would never watch this film again in my life. I do have a question about the end however: Did the mormon mom actually stay wherever it is they were (ya, I forgot) and hang out with the three guys or was that just some really lame/weird way the director chose to end the film?
I appreciate the metaphors and the deeper meaning in the movie. I like the lessons of change. Over all I think it took an educated person to produce a film deep as this.
I did not find the movie enjoyable. I find the way that they portrayed religious people as being stupid and close minded misleading and stupid! I enjoyed how realistic the homosexual acting was. I thought the humor was done well.
I don’t recommend this movie to anyone and I think it was no good. But I respect the artistic emphasis and the lessons portrayed.
did not like this movie at all!! I never ever want to watch anything like this ever again. I thought it was disgusting and I actually thought that it was pretty boring. I would never recommend this movie to anyone i know, except maybe the people I don't like. I thought it was disgusting and annoying. abandoning people you love isn't cool and it should never be done.
well, well, well, this wqs a strange one for me. It certainly got worst than better from the first part. Overall I thought it was the worst picture Al Pacino was involve in. I'm a really big fan of Pacino and this just killed it. Very touchy as far as how people feel about homosexual behavior and religion. Religion beliefs is one thing, freedom to choose is another. There will always be consequences.Thats the beauty of living in this country. I hope we watch a better one next time.
Well the second have wasn’t much better then the first. I like the ending, were they are all together as friends and enjoying there lives. For the rest of the movie I didn’t understand parts of it. Other parts were ok. I not sure what to say about the movie, It’s about dealing with aids before they new what it was and how to control it. Also about people finding them selves in a world that all they new about it was that is was bad. It about people trying to find out how they really are inside and who they are on the out side. Overall it was an ok movie I probably won’t watch it again.
I am extremely discusted with the way dead and our after life is shown in this movie. How they say god and Jesus left us because they were disgusted by our world makes me sick. I don't know who wrote this script and if this is how they really believe things or not. but its a mockery of all Christians and i'm applauded by it. Like i said last week i left class wishing i'd never viewed it, made me feeling depressed, like the world is some horrible place and we are all doomed. THe series and some points seemed like it could be a normal show, the the would have such random, dramatic things happened that just didn't seem to fit anywhere in the rhetoric. For example anytime the "angle" came was just strange and left me wondering, "where did that come from". I honestly am so so so glad i don't have to watch any more of this crap, utterly the worst mini series ever filmed. How they ever convinced so many big named actors and actresses to be part of this silly film is beyond me, but for better or worse its over.
hmmm...well i am not to sure how i feel about this movie. parts of it i found rather interesting and "out-there" and other parts i found seemed to drag on. I will agree though, this movie definitely toys with your emotions. The homosexuality scenes did make me feel a bit uncomfortable at times, but i think this movie related very well to how gays/lesbians have to deal with life regarding their families and friends. The AIDS epidemic throughout the movie i found to be incredibly depressing. Roy cohn is an ass, but i could not help but feel for him while he way slowing dying in his hospital bed. it is depressing to know that people have suffered so bad in hospital beds. no person should have to feel that much pain and misery.
Overall i thought that the movie was done fairly well and for being a six hour movie it didn't bore me too much. However there were multiple scenes that definately seemed to drag on longer than they needed to and the ending could definately be shortened. It was the first time in this class that i have felt somewhat uncomfortable during some of the homosexual scenes. I also felt like while the writers/director did a very good job with the character parallels and symbololism and all that stuff i think they went a little overboard. It almost seemed like they tried to do too much with all the themes and hidden symbolism and this character is a contrast of that character but a paralled of this other character. It just makes the movie somewhat confusing when you try to throw all these themes and meanings and all that other stuff into a six hour movie that is already too long.
I have had a very difficult time deciding what to write in reaction to Angels in America. I still have difficulty separating my emotional response and ties to the subject matter from a more objective analysis. It was striking to me how many people demonized Louis when he left Prior, thinking he left because his lover had AIDS, without granting that humans are notoriously bad at handling grief, and often respond in selfish, irrational ways. This is not to say that I condone Louis’s decisions or think Prior should have reconciled with him, but we have to view behaviors with compassion and understanding. Human beings are all hopelessly flawed, and to behave otherwise is deceive ourselves. The most important recurring message is one of imperfection: imperfection of human beings, the imperfection of relationships, imperfection in life. While the film uses metaphor and symbols to convey a number of ideas and philosophies, I still find the real portrayal of human interaction the most moving aspect; it is vital in humanizing those who were marginalized and ostracized due to sexual orientation, minority religion or even “emotional problems” (as mental illness still carries stigmas) that the characters seem not just like characters, but real believable people. Angels in America did that. Even the angels in this film are far from perfect. Rather than seeing a critique of religion, I found myself struck by the idea that not even angels have the answers. The most powerful support within the movie (particularly Mother Pitt and Belize) came from human beings, acting as angels to one another. We have to work our together what our purpose in life is and what we should make the world to be. It is particularly jarring when the writing had been elegant and the characters authentic to have a drastic shift, and break the fourth wall. Others have had this same complaint, and I believe it is a valid one. It simply feels awkward in a film format to shift in this way, although perhaps it feels more natural in a live theatre performance.
I resent Jake G. supposing to speak for me in the presumption he could have any idea what I was thinking when as I was leaving class I was “totally quiet, uninspired and somber.” He is perfectly entitled to his own moral outrage and irritation, (no matter how much I feel he should have dropped the class or transferred to a different section after the initial disclosures on the first day of class) but I will be damned before I allow him to speak on my behalf. I had not planned to go into detail of even a small part of why this film affected me in such a deeply emotional way, but as even my silence is misinterpreted, I have changed my mind. I will talk about some of my emotional attachment to the issue that caused my silence, emotional disturbance and no small amount of tears. My mother’s first cousin Donnie and his partner Kurt were much like uncles to me growing up. I called the Bert and Ernie when I was very young. They were a committed and dedicated couple for over 25 years. Donnie had been with Kurt since he was 17. Kurt became terminally ill and died nearly three years ago. Before he died, Kurt had great difficulty coming to terms with his mortality, and as a result, couldn’t bring himself to take the necessary precautions to make sure that Donnie was legally protected after his death. Kurt had a will completed, but simply could not bring himself to sign it because to do so would be to admit he was dying. By not signing the document, he couldn’t die. But of course, he did die. And his family, who had disowned him all these years, and told him he was being punished by God, inherited everything that had been in his name. Donnie had to buy his own house back from hate-filled people who had never offered even a word of love to Kurt after he acknowledged he was gay. Don’t presume you know a damned thing about my reaction to this film. Speak for yourself because that’s all you are equipped to do.
well i am finally able to post my blog on this movie. i tried doing it on my phone, but i kept getting interupted and lost what i wrote and i have just been too busy at home to write it. oh well, here goes nothing. i feel that this movie and in particular this half of the movie has a large number of dualities not only of charachter, but of the meanings of the symbolism that you see. for instance we have Pryor and the angel. we know that the angel was also the nurse that took care of pryor in the hospital and i would suggest that the nurse from a medical standpoint would mirror what the angel said. "stop moving" i.e. stop doing those activities that are causing you to get sick. stop doing those activities that are spreading this sickness. Pryors answer to this was a resounding NO!!! that people need to keep moving that we arent going to stop doing what we are doing. as to the destruction that the angel is talking about i am not sure as to what that symbolises in real life. it could be the medical industry and the inability to find a cure, but it could be something else. such as the long battled stand that gay lifestyles are undermining the traditional family and its values. next we have the good lawyer who describes himself as a heterosexual that plays around with other men. we see here a different view in life and how to express your sexual preferences. Roy was out for power and decided that as a gay person he would not be able to gain the power he wanted, so he not only hides his activities, but politically takes a very strong stand against gays and the rights that they are searching for. this may be the authors way of showing that even those that oppose homosexuals are hiding things, to the point that some are two faced hypocrits. also as for Pryor and harperi think that they were both freed from the troubles that they were going through in the begining of the movie. on the other hand Joe and his counterpart in the movie both lost the person that they felt they8 loved and needed because of their actions, even though joe seems to have gotten the worst of it. Joe's mom seems to be the more religious side of the movie. the doctorine. we see her forgive roy and also help Pryor. she i guess shows what i would call aceptance and love for all in the movie. harsh at times true, but in the end she helps makes amends between many of the parties involved.
I did not really like this movie. I thought that it began as an uninteresting movie and it only worsened with part 2. part two was strange, especially near the end when pryor goes to heaven. this movie was too deep in metaphores and symbolism for me to understand what they are trying to say about aids and homosexuality. the second half did have some funny moments, but that is the only good i can say about this movie.
I am posting for a second time only to adress April Gardner's response to my initial post. I would like to apologize for the generality of the statements I made concearning how you or other class members may have felt. You are right I cannot presume to know what another person is thinking or feelings. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
I am glad that this film is over. I thought it to be a little weird, especially the dreams. I didn't care for the part about God just up and leaving. My God wouldn't be capable of doing such a thing. He is a very forgiving person. I know that there is nothing that I could do to make my parents so disappointed in me that they would abandon me. I think that Gods love for us is the same way.
Well even after seeing the 2nd part of this movie, I still don't like it. I finally got why one person was playing 2 roles- but I still found the entire movie boring. The movie could have been summed up in about an hour and a half. One other thing I didn't like about it is how it left you hanging on what happened to Joe.
I didn't like the 2nd part of the movie, I found it very boring and seemed way longer than it really was.. the weird thing is I liked the 1st part but didn't like the 2nd. Maybe, it was because I was in a different mood that day, since we waited a whole week to watch the 2nd half. But even though I though the movie was boring, it did have some interesting things in the movie, and like I said I have no problem with gay people. Just as long as none of the stuff is did in front of my eyes. So the only parts that disturbed me was the parts when they would kiss, etc... And for Joe, I think he needs to decide if he wants to be with girls or guys. And not just switch between them.
At first this all this film did was confuse me but it is laced with undertones and you have to look at with an open mind. First the subject of homosexuality and the AIDS epidemic in the 80’s and 90’s and how a man struggles with his sexual orientation and how other gay men struggle with everyday life and each other in a society very anti gay at the time. There the whole religion thing and how it limits a person from living their lives to the fullest and idea I fully understand. Thirdly there were the politics and how corruption was a part of the everyday lives of the law makers at the time.
I think the movie was a good way of looking at how people deal with the problems that their love ones have. One group of people like to run and hide while others stick around deny that the problems are really happening. The movie was a little off with the drug and sex and I did not agree with a lot of what was in the movie it got a little more entertaining towards the end as the plot was finally reviled and it became a little more clear.
The movie was interesting, but it dragged out quite a bit, the dialouge was well written and points in conveied were strong. But, after a while the characters took a long time to expand and the weird psychological parts become more annoying then entertaining...
Film 1070 in room 172 of the Administration building at SLCC is constructed of, give or take, 503 bricks on all four walls and 212 ceiling tiles. Ok I’m lying, but only because the dim light blurred the lines making it impossible to count the individual bricks on the adjacent walls from me.
ReplyDeleteYes, there were numerous occasions in that movie where I considered counting bricks. I definitely stared at the ceiling more than the movie. Now let me exaggerate by saying that I could have filmed and produced that movie in forty-five minutes flat and still get the point a crossed.
I suppose that I am drawn to poetry, because a true poet can describe a movement, a place in time and build a character in a dozen lines or a few stanzas. It took this guy six hours to get the point across and then drug it out for another ten minutes at the end of the movie.
That being said, there was some pretty damn good dialogue going on in that movie. The Script was neatly constructed and very articulate. I was impressed, especially with the black male nurse. I forget what they called him. His character was very intelligent yet arrogant. And the actor did a great job playing the part. He was my favorite too watch.
WOW is all I can say. I still didnt really understand all the stuff that was going on in this movie. I can say that I didnt like it at all there was a lot of things that just made me feel kind of sick. I did not like how pryor said that if God ever comes back we should sue him for abandoning us. I am LDS and totally believe that if any one did the abandoning it was Pryor, not God. Pryor abandoned the way of Gods plan marriage should be between a man and a woman.
ReplyDeleteI felt bad to see him suffer so much with the disease of AIDS and I feel bad for all those who do suffer with that sickness. I would hope to see the United States one day find a way to cure that disease. This film overall was just long, but had some good points and some bad. I wont ever watch it again.
yeah that was the stupidest movie i have ever seen. i dont even know if stupidest is truly even a word but thats ok if its not it should be, and the description will tell you to watch this movie.
ReplyDeleteI second jared's opinion because there were some times in that movie where i thought i was goinog to start counting bricks and celing tiles. I really think they could have cut out around oh lets say half of it and i would have not missed anything. the overall movie was pretty decent though i never thought so many people would be affected by aids and how damaging it could be. i know that i am never going to recommend this movie to anyone. i just hope we watch a cool movie on thursday!
well after seeing the second part of this film i feel basically the same as i did after the first part.. bemused, unimpressed, and a bit confused. the spectrum of the film covers a completely biased view of those who do not support gay marriage. it is a radical left wing film plain and simple. to me the dialogue and symbolism were a great cover up for this biased folly of a production. one thing it did portray decent im sure, was the struggle of homosexualtiy in LDS culture. however the film makes it seem as if there is no way out, no other option than to give in to desire, no other option than to LEAVE YOUR WIFE and "discover your true self." ridiculous. this film was an eye opener of the ignorance and anger many (not all) of the homosexual community seem to share.
ReplyDeleteIn starting this post I made one crucial error, I read the other students post before posting my own. I began the aforementioned tragedy thinking that I may get some helpful insight that may improve my understanding of the movie. Instead, once again, I end up feeling extremely depressed, at the very least we could show a small amount of respect to the creators who worked so hard and undoubtedly poured a lot of themselves into this film, and not to mention to our teacher for the work and effort that has gone into making this class fun and easy for us.
ReplyDeleteI am so sick of hearing that you're are Mormon and that's why you can't take anything meaningful away from the films. Counting bricks? I feel like I'm the only one not in on a very bad joke.
Anyway, I loved Harper's role as the out of touch Mormon house wife, I dated an LDS girl for a number of years and I got to witness, first hand, her transformation from a smart, funny, down to earth girl into a self involved lunatic thanks to the help of perscription drugs. Not to mention my own experience with those particular types of medication. Trying to fit into an unrealistic idea of what reality is, is something that many people, myself included, can relate to.
I thought the end of the movie dragged a little. I found a hard time relating to god's abandonment of mankind, not because of any religious belief I just found it unrealistic, it seems to me God could have very easily remedied the situation by taking away some of the angels 8 vaginas.
I really enjoyed Al Pacino's portrayal of Roy Cohn. I have loosely followed the Reagan era and also the systematic dismantling of the popular workers movements in the decades before. Roy represents a culture that has been responsible for some of the worlds worst atrocities, but at the same time facilitated some amazing economic growth. Liberals are idealists, I sympathize with his cutthroat Darwinian philosophies. Progress comes at a cost, and the wake of Roy Cohn's life is representative of that cost.
I am still developing my ability to articulate the more abstract ideas and different connections throughout the movie. I did come to a more thorough grasp of "change" as a driving force but am struggling to find the meaning in that. Maybe it is this, I believe that the main point meant to be driven home is that change isn't always perfect, but when you consider the other options, staying still, we have no other choice.
Okay so in my mind this was 6 hours of BULLSHIT!!! The first half of the movie was boring enough, then the second part just murdered it all together. I would never recommend this movie to anyone, because over all I hated it, I mean yeah it has some good points and some bad, that would make you want to throw up, for example whenever two guys would kiss, but what Im trying to say is for god sake they could have said everything they had to say in about an hour and a half or less. Therefore, on thursday I am really hoping to see something cool and of my interest.
ReplyDeleteI would think that this movie was designed to have that much communication among the characters, but six hours of continuous chatter was very hard to keep our attention on. Anyways, the main point to this movie I still have no clue to what he was trying to achieve with it. I did like in the film however to see the struggle's within the characters. For example, the LDS man is always trying to fight off his internal feelings for what he was raised to be right and socially acceptable. We also get to see Prior struggling with his disease and abandonment. I am not sure what the angels in the movie have to do with anything besides to portray Prior's struggle to find something past his life on earth. In the movie however, he seems to argue with them and disagree the majority of what they say, so I assumed that he is rejecting what the majority of people believe will happen after they pass on. The only entertainment in this movie was Al Pacino's character. His story was the best to watch because there are people just like him in our world that we can relate to today. I also like how he is not always bitching about stuff, and for the most part is keeping his personality through out the movie, which was hilarious the whole time. I did not find a connection from character to character, besides the drug problems with Harper and Prior. To me it seems like there were just alot of bitching going on and six hours of it, was pretty hard to stay focused to. I was hoping that the movie would give us some sort of closure or purpose for this film, but at the end it left us with Harper on a plane starting a new life, but still a little insane. Then the rest of the cast talking have fun, still being themselves. I guess the only conclusion that we get is they finally accepted what was going on in their lives and were able to keep on living.
ReplyDeleteNot much a fan of the movie considering I spent most of the second half wondering what I was going to have for dinner or what problems I would encounter at work...
ReplyDeleteI was actually relieved I had to leave early to go to work. YAY! But I just really think that even though this was a mini series it was still to long... Holy Crap! No movie should ever be that long unless it is GOOD! It dealt with some hard hitting issues that to be carried out in such a lengthy manner is just aggravating to watch... It's like ok! We get it. A guy with aids and a sack of shit boyfriend, an ass hole Roy Cohn, the mormon couple where the husband is gay and the wife is unloved.... You set up the whole movie so fast and just went off of what ya had! UGH!
It was interesting in the fact I didn't really mind the movie at first, but the more we watched it the more unattached I was to it.
I know why it is controversial, but I am making it controversial to myself cause of how LONG it was.
It didn't really spark any feelings of controversy in me though... I mean I see where it is, but it really didn't get me going... Just too long
While this film did have some interesting dialogue and characters, some scenes would drag on over time. I thought the story of Roy Cohn to be the most interesting one, because he did not consider himself a homosexual even though he was. He discriminated against them and I could see how the character of Joe was a lot like Roy but in a sort of closeted way, Joe also discriminated against homosexuals in court, to him it was basically alright to discriminate as long as your doing it legally. Joe's life was based on rules and everything considered "proper" as opposed to Roy Cohn who's life was also based on rules but did not mind breaking them in order to get what he wanted. I liked how Roy sees in Joe a "protege" that he wants to shape into an image of himself and is later enraged with Joe when he tells him that he's been living with a man for the past month. That showed me how much Roy had hoped to keep his "legacy" of hate in Joe but was dissappointed to see Joe become open about his homosexuality, something that Roy knew would not allow him to continue on as he had hoped. I liked that amongst all of the hate and rejection going on in the story, AIDS attacks everyone alike. We're all the same in the end, just my thought.
ReplyDeleteWow, lots of predictable hate of this movie. At the guy who mentioned wanting to puke every time two guys kissed, guess what, we developed eyelids. Learn to use them. In my opinion, this film had decent acting all around. It did drag on, especially at the end. I believe the movie was done about a half hour before it actually was and the characters talking to you felt stupid and uninspired. I hate when movies break the fourth wall, like they are trying to shove information down your throat that they couldn't get out because they weren't clever enough to get it across another way. I found Prior's reaction to his "prophecy" was somewhat interesting but I found the way he "denied" it really stupid, and also found that whole subplot annoying.
ReplyDeleteOk it took me awhile to finally get some of the movie, i still did not get it all. There were a lot of philosophies involved that I did not get it. But all in all, i got that is about change, about life struggles that happens like or not, and the fact that we can not stop moving, life goes on and we have to keep up with it. To tell the truth I felt really bad for Harper in the movie, her life really sucks, and what she went through was a huge struggle that I do not know how would I handle it. But in the end she sees a light for a change, for a starter of a new life.I think that was my favorite part in the show, to see how much struggles she went through and then her changes to a better life. We all have problems in different ways and we can not just stop and no progress, we have to keep moving.
ReplyDeleteHOLY SHETTT... This movie is F She F she He F him.all of us that is Ok. the freedom of choice, land of the freedom home of the brave.
ReplyDeleteFreedom of speak and We have equal opportunity of the Goid.
HOLY Ass Hole, HAY, IF this happen to our children. We would be terrific,don't we? and Bite the shet out from him or she. you know what we did. from the only gay school. they take over the school. we might have to make the another surgical asses.
You know.. the ideal is.. It is the bring them the land called the Liberty Country find the island in Alantic ocean and them these people do the thing that they wents. Let them live togther and every in the world they want as long they live in a Boundary line. KIDDING LYING,impossible and hell of ridicurous. What kind of human is that, to live under condition. Why would we here any way? This movie ended up better then I though and more respect and understand the purposes of them. The determination to surviver from the AID for 5 years of ROY...
an interesting concept. That God abbandoned us and we should sue. If we win that suit (which we won't) can I have eternal life. too bad it went nowhere with it, it at least could have done the whole God is evil or amoral but in this he is non-existant and not my choice for a good story. Oh and after the first half the hallucinations got really boring except for the ones with Al Pachino and that dead chick. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to kick ass and play childrens card games and I'm all out of ass.
ReplyDeleteThis movie was a definite shocker at some points. I like how Prior had his vision and overcame everything and how Louis got what was coming to him, same with Joe he just needs to pick boys or girls and stick with one anyone who matters won't care anyways. As for Harper I wish I could do what she did leave and fulfill my dreams would be amazing. I think it had a really good message and showed how life is like for every person in any of those situations.
ReplyDeleteThis film almost put me into sleep. I still don't know what is the purpose of this film. A dying lawyer who don't have a clean mouth. Bunch of the guy whom want to solve an mix up relationship. An idiot who won't think a way to solve his marriage until it's not for him to decide and regret forever. All of this put together are just confuse to me.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part is when the guy who say what he think about god and sue it(the god in the bible). It is a little ridiculous of course, because I've never heard this kind of idea before and never think there's the point of it. In the other hand, we don't know how to make this crazy event become real yet. (In the bible, why dose god keep devil which is it's failure created toy alive? And why dose god allow the sin to pass on to the new born life who wasn't have anythings to do with Adam and Eve's disobey sin? Why do we must have sin? What do we have to do with the crime which Adam and Eve has done? Why it keep the suffering going. Dose it just like devil, love to playing with us like we a nothing but a toy?)
I don't have a whole lot to say about the ending of Angels in America. I think I said a lot of what I thought in my first post. My thoughts mostly remain the same. I agree with many that 6 hours for that story was way long, however I wasn't counting bricks or ceiling tiles. The movie was still able to keep me somewhat interested, that or maybe I was just on the edge of my seat scared for the next dude on dude sex scene.
ReplyDeleteI did however enjoy the ending. It's nice to see people who deserve to be happy ending up being happy. All I have to say though, is poor poor joe. Women don't want him, men don't want him. There aren't a lot of places left for him to go. So In summary, it was an incredibly long movie, I won't ever watch it again, but it did keep me interested enough to watch it all the way through this one time.
According to the second link, this movie was described as a fantasia... I You Tubed the fantasia in G or whatever, and all i heard was random noise. A fantasia is defined as a free composition structured according to the composers fancy... That is the only way I can describe this film. It was a random mosaic made from pieces of the authors mind, opinion and lack of respect for the sacred.... I feel that the author took several things very sacred to a certain religion and made them ridiculous... but I am choosing to look at it from a positive point of view and say " to each his own." and let it be...
ReplyDeleteI think this movie would have been better if it left out all the angel hoop-lah and dead ancestors visiting at night. although u thought the Ethyl Rosenberg visiting was done tastefully. The rest of the film I would say was interesting and somewhat entertaining... (remember that this was a miniseries and was probably shown at hour length intervals and also may have had commercial breaks) I loved the character Belize... I thought he was the responsible person in the film and was left to pick up all the pieces in the end... I thought Al Pacino did a fantastic job! (no wonder he won an award for it) I sympathize with Harper's character and how she was driven to abuse pills. I personally wouldn’t blame her for feeling undesirable to her own husband. I'm surprised she stayed faithful... maybe if she wasn't high all the time she wouldn't have. I enjoyed the ending but I thought it was odd how Pryor addressed the camera at the end as if talking to an audience that just appeared, but again it goes with that fantasia bit... Overall, ok movie, sometimes too graphic, a bit strange... ok a lot of strange! Will not see again...
This movie was a severe waste of time and energy. I say energy because it took all of my energy to watch the projector screen instead of watching my fingernails grow. I was very disappointed at how stupid this movie was. It had a good message but 6 hours of that shit is more than enough.
ReplyDeleteWay too long!!!! and confusing and weird! I did not like this movie and it could have been a lot shorter and still told the whole story. I thought this movie was weird with the hallucinations and sad with the AIDS. I thought it was disturbing and would not recommend it.
ReplyDeleteI found thise movie to be of the wall. I think that they could have summed the movie a lot short then they did. I find it to be to long. It was interesting to see all the comparisents with characters, and how they relate to each other.
ReplyDeleteI could see how much of a jerk Roy Cohn was. I guess he got what he desereved.
I didn't really get this movie at all, I get the point that yes you can live for awhile even with a terminal illness, you can be gay and be proud of it, lover's can become enemy later, and religion can't stand in the way of your sexuality...Hmm did I just pretty much sum up this whole movie.
ReplyDeleteI'm totally confused with the how the movie is portrayed and directed. This movie sucks and it took forever to get the point across!
This movie just dragged on and on!
The first half of the movie seemed very long and dragged on. The second half did the same. The acting was good. The way the characters played multiple roles was interesting. But honestly, that was it. I agree with many here that the movie was too long and it dragged on. It wouldnt be a movie I would watch on my own. The issue with AIDS, homosexuality, and Mormons, and how all the characters connected together was quite far-fetched. The scenes with Joe explicitly showing that he is homosexual by kissing, stripping off his clothes, and always proclaiming is love was not pleasing to see or hear. Im glad the movie is done and over with.
ReplyDeleteSo after seeing the first part of Angels in America, I thought to myself: "Alright this first part was long, confusing, and a little over dramatic. BUT hopefully the second part makes answers all the questions I have and makes more sens!" Now after seeing the second part of the film, I thought to myself: "Alright the second part was LONG, confusing, and really over dramatic, and still none of my answers were answered."
ReplyDeleteI didn't get anything out of this film in the form of entertainment. Ya I laughed in a couple of parts but after 6 hours it seemed like the movie was going on forever! As soon as a saw the last scene when all the characters were by the fountain, I was relieved! But damn did every individual character had to share there words of wisdom. Didn't we already hear that through the whole movie?
I must admit I did like the topics of the movie. AIDS, religious conflict, and the struggles of homosexuals in the 1980's, just to name a few. IT was just too long.................! After awhile you begin to loose the audience attention, which I think happened in this film.
I am posting a second time to remind everyone that this "movie" was aired on HBO as a six part series, each an hour long, and likely separated by a week or more. The dragging on, and ridiculous length doesn't show poor direction, just poor presentation, as it was not intended to be watched in one (or even two) sittings.
ReplyDeleteWhat a waste of time, money, life etc. not only for us who have had to watch this movie but all those who participated in the making or funding of it. I thought this class might have been an opportunity to better understand other people, culture and lifestyles but the more I learn about "diverse lifestyles" the more thankful I am not that” diverse”. I am not nearly as confused as those who are influenced by this crap. Diversity seems to have become a metaphor for confusion. So far this class has not provided any clarity or understanding on any of these controversial topics but has rather attempted to put into question all of the time tested high moral and social values that this nation was founded on. Ever heard the phrase “If you can’t dazzle em with discernment baffle em with bullshit”. It’s kinda like thinking your life has to much drama and then catching an episode of Jerry Springer. All of the sudden you realize you are totally normal. Both this movie and the last temptation of Christ are made and enjoyed by the utterly confused part of humanity that has no direction in life and enough money to glorify it. Christ knew exactly who he was, what his mission was, and exactly how to accomplish it. Angels in America is just another high budget, over choreographed example of how the totally confused wealthy homosexual community goes about spreading its gender confusion. The special effects, acting, dialog humor etc. were of course quite good (what else do you expect when Hollywood’s elite left wingers want to advance their agenda and smear the LDS church) but I could have thought of a million other topics to spend that time and money on that would have actually been inspiring, uplifting and motivational rather than depressing, perverted, disgusting, demoralizing and de-motivational. Did anyone else notice how everyone was totally quiet, uninspired and somber after the movie? The classroom emptied in a matter of seconds because most of us couldn’t wait to get the hell away from that feeling the movie left us hanging with. I mean does anyone really want to sit there watching explicit gay bum jugging and listening to people whining and crying over stupid choices? I expected the gay/ homo topic to arise but honestly only showed up for the credit. This nation was founded on fundamental Christian values. (I wonder why this nation continues to go downhill as fast as those values are thrown out?) Hmmm. Other nations have been founded on other values. Why have we prospered and been so successful? Another Hmmm. If homos want all of the same benefits that the founding fathers of this or any other nation establish why don’t they found their own nation where they can establish their own values and live by their own standards (homoland) j/k. Ok enough said. I really don’t hate homos or any other nation, race, gender etc. but I do have my own opinion on the practice of it and more especially the public exposure of it. Can’t wait to get to the next topic!
ReplyDeleteok first of all i will be the black sheep here and say that i loved this movie. although it was long, it had to be as long as it was to get all of the points across. there is no way you could cut all of that down to 2 hours and still get all of the info. Saying the movie was too long and it could have been condenced is like saying the bible is too long and boring and should have been condenced down to a couple of hundered pages.
ReplyDeleteHello.
ReplyDeleteGod abandoned us huh? I suppose it is possible in some ways if we were truly causing pain and destruction to his world. The question, I think, is not would God abandon us but why? Would the reason truly be our want to learn or to grow or move that would cause God to abandon us? I doubt that would be it. My guess for his abandonment would be our asking him to leave.
As a nation, even in some cases a world, we are constantly pushing God out of our government, schools, and entertainment. Perhaps our continuing to deny his existence and asking him to be out of our business is what caused him to leave.
What I did like about this movie, is the humanity. Perhaps it is to be thought that if we caused God to abandon us, by any means, then we will have to be self dependent. The problem is as humans we make mistakes. All of these characters are real and have real lives. Not all the endings are happy. These characters, though, showed a determination to be happy in a world where God seems distant and to that I commend them.
The movie was good. You can take what you want from the movie as a message and everyone's message will be different because of their background.
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ReplyDeleteI love the posts that have been translated from some asian language into English. I seriously was cracking up over them. Not to say that i can speak a single word of chinese, japanese, korean, etc...So kudos to them for trying, but i just found it hilarious. Im simple minded, i laugh at simple things.
ReplyDeleteAbout the film it sucked, i was bored to tears. I was disgusted. I could have made a better film with 400 dollars, a pack of slim jims, a shotgun, and some fireworks.
Can I ask the question why any of you who are commenting on this film can suggest that the movie had to do with gay marriage? When the hell was it mentioned in the movie? Oh it wasn't was it. So quit talking about the movie like it had shit to do with gay marriage. Well anyways yeah the movie was pretty lame but I mean come on its probably the best movie out there on the subject of AIDS and homosexuality at least its not sad and depressing. Its boring for the most part a few good scenes but that's how half of the movies out there are anyways. I will definitely be good if I never have to watch it again. Also I cant understand why anyone is offended that Joe the Mormon turns out to be gay. No one says anything really offensive to the LDS religion in the film. Unless for some reason you think its offensive that an LDS person can be gay and of course and if that is the case then you have some real issues and should probably take an anthropology class or something.
ReplyDeleteAs for the mirroring of characters I could see their similarities and all that but really what is the point of that? I really hated the fact though that in the end of the movie the characters talked directly to the audience I really cant stand that when characters in movie talk directly to the audience.
As with many others. I dont really have much to say. I agree that Roy Cohn is an ass. Just out for his own good. Until the end when he realizes there is something more than himself.
ReplyDeleteThe part I found most interesting was the Mormon Mother that comes to the big city, hates it, but ends up staying. She expresses through subtle hints that she is not okay with homosexuality and finds out that her son is actually affiliated with something she has been raised to think of as not acceptable. Sound farmiliar... Oh wait. We are still dealin with this years later... lame i know.
definetly better than the first half. Alot of symbolism. great acting over all it was good to watch this i wouldn't consider it a waste of time. Roy Cohn is a jackass through both parts, but most the other characters develop and change for the better through out the course of the movie. Theres good in everyone whether or not they're gay
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the movie in it's entirety I found it to be very interesting. Just the dialogue alone was pretty complex and strong willed that it made you follow it and interpret it with your own definitions. For instance, when Prior is having his 'dream' where he even says some of the things in life that he had once enjoyed seemed to have almost no purpose as his illness reached a drastic point but in the long run, the movie shows his character getting stronger and realizing that there is more to life than just setting in on reality. That may sound a little of a stretch but it's true. He knows he has a fatal and terminal disease but he is living his life as he can and taking in almost everything to a greater light than he maybe would have before. The movie overall showed great triumph for some characters in facing their situations and not only accepting what they have been brought with but handling it in a very great way for some. overall i did enjoy the movie and it was one that did leave you thinking which are the kind of movies i enjoy.
ReplyDeleteRoy Cohn may have been an ass, however, Al Pacino put on a stellar performance. In my opinion the gay black dude's description of heaven was the best part of the movie. You could make a whole movie of Al Pacino's hell! Oh, wait! "Devil's Advocate". I just like it when you're watching a movie, and through the characters dialogue you can use your own imagination to paint the picture.
ReplyDeleteI think that breaking the 4th wall at the end of this flic was a big mistake. It made me think... "God, that was really, really gay."
I like second part of movie better than first one. But this is movie is really complicated and to understand more, I need to watch more than once( I do not think I will watch this movie again). Like everyone said Roy is a not good guy from beginning to end.It is sad that there are rich people like him. There are lots of people who need the medicine and I want to become person who can share those with others even though I need those pills.
ReplyDeleteI do not know how it is like to face with some disease that will cause you death. I am afraid of death and people's death. It was weird to me that they put LDS people in that movie. Since LDS does not believe in gay, I was not expecting those people involved in this movie.
Even though, this movie was not the type of movie I want to watch, I really loved thier opening music.
I probably should have made my first post before watching the second half of the movie. I'm pretty sure some of my thoughts ran together...oh well. What stuck out to me most about the second half of the movie was first, I was still just as confused during the second half as I was for the first half. Second, is that apparently Joe is the bad guy. If you think about it, out of 6 of the major characters, he was the only one that didn't have words of wisdom to throw out to us at the end of the movie. The message, overall, had good points...but not 6 hours of good points. And the whole angel sex scene was bizarre. I felt, that of all the movies I've watched in this class, that this was the one I learned the most from (once I started to understand a little of what was going on).
ReplyDeleteFebruary 26, 2009 at 10:39 PM
Just as a side note (in response to Randy's presentation post) the movie was shown exactly as it was aired and exactly as the play was staged. The play/movie is divided into two parts. Millenium Approaches and Perestroika. Each half is approximately three hours long. The only difference between how we viewed it in class and how it was aired and staged is that you wouldn't have had to wait a week in between. Oh and the play would have had a 15 min. intermission each night (around the third act). Anyway, I just wanted to clear that up.
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Sara Jade
The second part of this movie was just as crazy as the first part and just as long but luckily it ended happy. No one died except that old guy that made me feel better. Pretty much I hate and like this movie. I hate the weird hallucinations and I really hate Luis and Joe. But as it finally concluded and everyone ended up where they should be I kinda liked it. I was glad all the guys were still friends and friends with the mom too. I liked how Harper got out of there. Belize was the most entertaining character for me to watch. He was smart but friendly and I loved the way he did everything. THe movie was too long for the simple point but at least it had a decent ending.
ReplyDeleteI only read a few of the post on this blog and am relieved to see that I'm not the only who still doesn't know what exactly is going on. This movie was just too much for me. You cant put that any ideals and philosophies into a SIX hour film and expect that the audience will understand it all. The movie was long slow and drug out yet I was interested in it. Once was deffinately enough as I would never watch this film again in my life. I do have a question about the end however: Did the mormon mom actually stay wherever it is they were (ya, I forgot) and hang out with the three guys or was that just some really lame/weird way the director chose to end the film?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the metaphors and the deeper meaning in the movie. I like the lessons of change. Over all I think it took an educated person to produce a film deep as this.
ReplyDeleteI did not find the movie enjoyable. I find the way that they portrayed religious people as being stupid and close minded misleading and stupid! I enjoyed how realistic the homosexual acting was. I thought the humor was done well.
I don’t recommend this movie to anyone and I think it was no good. But I respect the artistic emphasis and the lessons portrayed.
did not like this movie at all!! I never ever want to watch anything like this ever again. I thought it was disgusting and I actually thought that it was pretty boring. I would never recommend this movie to anyone i know, except maybe the people I don't like. I thought it was disgusting and annoying. abandoning people you love isn't cool and it should never be done.
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ReplyDeletewell, well, well, this wqs a strange one for me. It certainly got worst than better from the first part. Overall I thought it was the worst picture Al Pacino was involve in. I'm a really big fan of Pacino and this just killed it. Very touchy as far as how people feel about homosexual behavior and religion. Religion beliefs is one thing, freedom to choose is another. There will always be consequences.Thats the beauty of living in this country. I hope we watch a better one next time.
ReplyDeleteWell the second have wasn’t much better then the first. I like the ending, were they are all together as friends and enjoying there lives. For the rest of the movie I didn’t understand parts of it. Other parts were ok. I not sure what to say about the movie, It’s about dealing with aids before they new what it was and how to control it. Also about people finding them selves in a world that all they new about it was that is was bad. It about people trying to find out how they really are inside and who they are on the out side. Overall it was an ok movie I probably won’t watch it again.
ReplyDeleteI am extremely discusted with the way dead and our after life is shown in this movie. How they say god and Jesus left us because they were disgusted by our world makes me sick. I don't know who wrote this script and if this is how they really believe things or not. but its a mockery of all Christians and i'm applauded by it. Like i said last week i left class wishing i'd never viewed it, made me feeling depressed, like the world is some horrible place and we are all doomed. THe series and some points seemed like it could be a normal show, the the would have such random, dramatic things happened that just didn't seem to fit anywhere in the rhetoric. For example anytime the "angle" came was just strange and left me wondering, "where did that come from". I honestly am so so so glad i don't have to watch any more of this crap, utterly the worst mini series ever filmed. How they ever convinced so many big named actors and actresses to be part of this silly film is beyond me, but for better or worse its over.
ReplyDeletehmmm...well i am not to sure how i feel about this movie. parts of it i found rather interesting and "out-there" and other parts i found seemed to drag on. I will agree though, this movie definitely toys with your emotions. The homosexuality scenes did make me feel a bit uncomfortable at times, but i think this movie related very well to how gays/lesbians have to deal with life regarding their families and friends. The AIDS epidemic throughout the movie i found to be incredibly depressing. Roy cohn is an ass, but i could not help but feel for him while he way slowing dying in his hospital bed. it is depressing to know that people have suffered so bad in hospital beds. no person should have to feel that much pain and misery.
ReplyDeleteOverall i thought that the movie was done fairly well and for being a six hour movie it didn't bore me too much. However there were multiple scenes that definately seemed to drag on longer than they needed to and the ending could definately be shortened. It was the first time in this class that i have felt somewhat uncomfortable during some of the homosexual scenes. I also felt like while the writers/director did a very good job with the character parallels and symbololism and all that stuff i think they went a little overboard. It almost seemed like they tried to do too much with all the themes and hidden symbolism and this character is a contrast of that character but a paralled of this other character. It just makes the movie somewhat confusing when you try to throw all these themes and meanings and all that other stuff into a six hour movie that is already too long.
ReplyDeleteI have had a very difficult time deciding what to write in reaction to Angels in America. I still have difficulty separating my emotional response and ties to the subject matter from a more objective analysis.
ReplyDeleteIt was striking to me how many people demonized Louis when he left Prior, thinking he left because his lover had AIDS, without granting that humans are notoriously bad at handling grief, and often respond in selfish, irrational ways. This is not to say that I condone Louis’s decisions or think Prior should have reconciled with him, but we have to view behaviors with compassion and understanding. Human beings are all hopelessly flawed, and to behave otherwise is deceive ourselves.
The most important recurring message is one of imperfection: imperfection of human beings, the imperfection of relationships, imperfection in life. While the film uses metaphor and symbols to convey a number of ideas and philosophies, I still find the real portrayal of human interaction the most moving aspect; it is vital in humanizing those who were marginalized and ostracized due to sexual orientation, minority religion or even “emotional problems” (as mental illness still carries stigmas) that the characters seem not just like characters, but real believable people. Angels in America did that.
Even the angels in this film are far from perfect. Rather than seeing a critique of religion, I found myself struck by the idea that not even angels have the answers. The most powerful support within the movie (particularly Mother Pitt and Belize) came from human beings, acting as angels to one another. We have to work our together what our purpose in life is and what we should make the world to be.
It is particularly jarring when the writing had been elegant and the characters authentic to have a drastic shift, and break the fourth wall. Others have had this same complaint, and I believe it is a valid one. It simply feels awkward in a film format to shift in this way, although perhaps it feels more natural in a live theatre performance.
I resent Jake G. supposing to speak for me in the presumption he could have any idea what I was thinking when as I was leaving class I was “totally quiet, uninspired and somber.” He is perfectly entitled to his own moral outrage and irritation, (no matter how much I feel he should have dropped the class or transferred to a different section after the initial disclosures on the first day of class) but I will be damned before I allow him to speak on my behalf. I had not planned to go into detail of even a small part of why this film affected me in such a deeply emotional way, but as even my silence is misinterpreted, I have changed my mind. I will talk about some of my emotional attachment to the issue that caused my silence, emotional disturbance and no small amount of tears.
My mother’s first cousin Donnie and his partner Kurt were much like uncles to me growing up. I called the Bert and Ernie when I was very young. They were a committed and dedicated couple for over 25 years. Donnie had been with Kurt since he was 17. Kurt became terminally ill and died nearly three years ago. Before he died, Kurt had great difficulty coming to terms with his mortality, and as a result, couldn’t bring himself to take the necessary precautions to make sure that Donnie was legally protected after his death. Kurt had a will completed, but simply could not bring himself to sign it because to do so would be to admit he was dying. By not signing the document, he couldn’t die. But of course, he did die. And his family, who had disowned him all these years, and told him he was being punished by God, inherited everything that had been in his name. Donnie had to buy his own house back from hate-filled people who had never offered even a word of love to Kurt after he acknowledged he was gay.
Don’t presume you know a damned thing about my reaction to this film. Speak for yourself because that’s all you are equipped to do.
well i am finally able to post my blog on this movie. i tried doing it on my phone, but i kept getting interupted and lost what i wrote and i have just been too busy at home to write it. oh well, here goes nothing. i feel that this movie and in particular this half of the movie has a large number of dualities not only of charachter, but of the meanings of the symbolism that you see. for instance we have Pryor and the angel. we know that the angel was also the nurse that took care of pryor in the hospital and i would suggest that the nurse from a medical standpoint would mirror what the angel said. "stop moving" i.e. stop doing those activities that are causing you to get sick. stop doing those activities that are spreading this sickness. Pryors answer to this was a resounding NO!!! that people need to keep moving that we arent going to stop doing what we are doing. as to the destruction that the angel is talking about i am not sure as to what that symbolises in real life. it could be the medical industry and the inability to find a cure, but it could be something else. such as the long battled stand that gay lifestyles are undermining the traditional family and its values. next we have the good lawyer who describes himself as a heterosexual that plays around with other men. we see here a different view in life and how to express your sexual preferences. Roy was out for power and decided that as a gay person he would not be able to gain the power he wanted, so he not only hides his activities, but politically takes a very strong stand against gays and the rights that they are searching for. this may be the authors way of showing that even those that oppose homosexuals are hiding things, to the point that some are two faced hypocrits. also as for Pryor and harperi think that they were both freed from the troubles that they were going through in the begining of the movie. on the other hand Joe and his counterpart in the movie both lost the person that they felt they8 loved and needed because of their actions, even though joe seems to have gotten the worst of it. Joe's mom seems to be the more religious side of the movie. the doctorine. we see her forgive roy and also help Pryor. she i guess shows what i would call aceptance and love for all in the movie. harsh at times true, but in the end she helps makes amends between many of the parties involved.
ReplyDeleteI did not really like this movie. I thought that it began as an uninteresting movie and it only worsened with part 2. part two was strange, especially near the end when pryor goes to heaven. this movie was too deep in metaphores and symbolism for me to understand what they are trying to say about aids and homosexuality. the second half did have some funny moments, but that is the only good i can say about this movie.
ReplyDeleteI am posting for a second time only to adress April Gardner's response to my initial post. I would like to apologize for the generality of the statements I made concearning how you or other class members may have felt. You are right I cannot presume to know what another person is thinking or feelings. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that this film is over. I thought it to be a little weird, especially the dreams. I didn't care for the part about God just up and leaving. My God wouldn't be capable of doing such a thing. He is a very forgiving person. I know that there is nothing that I could do to make my parents so disappointed in me that they would abandon me. I think that Gods love for us is the same way.
ReplyDeleteWell even after seeing the 2nd part of this movie, I still don't like it. I finally got why one person was playing 2 roles- but I still found the entire movie boring. The movie could have been summed up in about an hour and a half. One other thing I didn't like about it is how it left you hanging on what happened to Joe.
ReplyDeleteErin Bitters
I didn't like the 2nd part of the movie, I found it very boring and seemed way longer than it really was.. the weird thing is I liked the 1st part but didn't like the 2nd. Maybe, it was because I was in a different mood that day, since we waited a whole week to watch the 2nd half. But even though I though the movie was boring, it did have some interesting things in the movie, and like I said I have no problem with gay people. Just as long as none of the stuff is did in front of my eyes. So the only parts that disturbed me was the parts when they would kiss, etc... And for Joe, I think he needs to decide if he wants to be with girls or guys. And not just switch between them.
ReplyDeleteAt first this all this film did was confuse me but it is laced with undertones and you have to look at with an open mind. First the subject of homosexuality and the AIDS epidemic in the 80’s and 90’s and how a man struggles with his sexual orientation and how other gay men struggle with everyday life and each other in a society very anti gay at the time. There the whole religion thing and how it limits a person from living their lives to the fullest and idea I fully understand. Thirdly there were the politics and how corruption was a part of the everyday lives of the law makers at the time.
ReplyDeleteI think the movie was a good way of looking at how people deal with the problems that their love ones have. One group of people like to run and hide while others stick around deny that the problems are really happening. The movie was a little off with the drug and sex and I did not agree with a lot of what was in the movie it got a little more entertaining towards the end as the plot was finally reviled and it became a little more clear.
ReplyDeleteThe movie was interesting, but it dragged out quite a bit, the dialouge was well written and points in conveied were strong. But, after a while the characters took a long time to expand and the weird psychological parts become more annoying then entertaining...
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