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Angels In America
R4 - Australia - Warner Home Video Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak (15th March 2005). |
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The Film
 Until recent times homosexual content was largely ignored in the entertainment industry, especially in film and television. It was always a taboo to discuss it or to show gay characters. The last fifteen years has provided a more open environment to gay themes in films, the industry has in a way caught up with public perception and society, the more we know about certain things the more accepting we can become towards them, remember a time when Aids was also known as the Gay Cancer or Plague? That wasn't too long ago. The first mainstream film to deal with gay issues and the Aids epidemic was Philadelphia (1993), although there had been other small films prior to that one Philadelphia was the first to hit a cord with average Joe audience member. It was around that time the play "Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes" was also making waves in the theatre. Written by Tony Kushner himself an openly gay man, wrote a piece that at its core was about being gay in the eighties with Aids. The play won him a Pulitzer Prize. Tony proceeded to turn the play into a mini-series for Television. It was still a little risqué for Network so HBO came along to green light what would later become one of their flagship programmes of that season. The project created a buzz in Hollywood that esteemed directors Robert Altmanand Neil LaBute were at one time or another attached to the project. But for some reason, both eventually left the project, perhaps due to creative differences or other commitments. It wasn’t until 2002 when Mike Nichols got a hold of the script and was immediately aboard. Angels in America takes place at the height of the Aids epidemic, 1985 in New York City and follows a series of people from different walks of life. Prior Walton (Justin Kirk) has Aids and to make matters worse his lover of four years Louis (Ben Shenkman) has freaked out about it and abandoned him, a combination of the disease and loneliness eventually gets to Prior and soon beings to see images of an Angel telling him that he is a prophet. Meanwhile Louis is engulfed with guilt and attempts to make piece with his former lover. Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson) is a devoted Mormon who has moved from Salt Lake with his new wife to New York for his job. Joe, a promising young attorney and Republican is being groomed for a position in the Justice Department by his boss Roy Cohn (Al Pacino), a hard ass attorney of great power and influence. Both men are gay and in the closet, Cohen ashamed by his sexuality denies his illness when told he is HIV positive and Pitt keeps his sexuality a secret from his wife and family because of his deep religious beliefs. Even his secret sexual contact with Loius (Prior’s Ex) isn’t powerful enough for him to fully come out of the closet. Pitt's wife Harper (Mary-Louise Parker) knows that something is wrong, and is extremely strung out on prescription medication that helps her escape he loveless and seemingly sexless marriage. She and Joe eventually fall out and she decides to leave, but not without another Valium filled adventure in Antarctica first. Angels in America is likely to be one of the finest pieces of television drama you will see today, it was adapted from a Pulitzer Prize winning play, helmed by an experienced and awarded director and performed by some of the film industry’s most talented casts. It follows many characters and sometimes you feel a little overwhelmed especially since many of the cast play numerous characters, especially Emma Thompson and Meryl Streep, but the mini-series is presented in a series of chapters that eventually come together so you’re never lost. The characters are so well written and developed you don’t feel at anytime that you’re watching actors, the performances feel real and that’s what’s so important about this piece. Director Nichols has a knack for crafting strong and believable scenes just take a look at his current film Closer and you’ll see what I mean. Aside from the performances this series has elements that can at times be very difficult to sit through, there is nothing gruesome here what I mean is that the structure is set out just like the play and there are scenes of fantasy guided by religious overtones that for some people may seem very drawn out (much like a Shakespearian soliloquy, but without the use of old English). It’s fair to say that Angels in America is not for everyone, but if you’re looking for drama that is smart, engaging and tragically real this is something to check out.
Video
Presented in a 1.78:1 widescreen ratio, this anamorphic transfer is about as flawless as they come. The image is clean and maintains sharpness throughout. Black levels are well defined and shadow detail is excellent. Skin tones are realistic and colours are bright and consistent, what more could you ask for? I have no doubt that this DVD presents the series better than when it was originally broadcast.
Audio
The disc comes with two soundtrack options both in English. The first a Dolby Digital 5.1 and the second a Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround track. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the series with the 5.1 track. While this is primarily a dialogue driven series I found the 5.1 track surprisingly effective especially with directional surrounds, atmospheric sounds, music and effects (especially during the fantasy sequences). Dialogue is clear and distortion free, much like the transfer this is a relatively flawless audio track. This disc also features optional subtitles in English, English for the hearing impared, Hebrew, Portuguese and Swedish.
Extras
Not a single thing. Which is a shame as a director’s commentary would have been a priceless addition.
Overall
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