It all started with a Bruce Springsteen calendar. A strange opening to a review, but it’s true. If it weren’t for me picking that calendar up last December, chances are I wouldn’t be sitting here typing this review right now. Ever since then, I delved deep into The Boss’ discography, and happened to come across a song titled ‘Streets of Philadelphia’. For three minutes, I sat in awe of what I was listening to. I looked down at the cover art, and realised I was listening to a soundtrack of a film named Philadelphia.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z2DtNW79sQ?rel=0]
Philadelphia was released in 1993, at a time where the films subject matter was a high talking point, due to the untimely death of Freddie Mercury who succumbed to the same disease Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) battles, AIDS. Beckett is an up and coming lawyer in a Philadelphia law firm, but is soon fired due to a ‘misfiled’ complaint he had been working on. Beckett however believes that someone deliberately misplaced his paperwork to create a reason to fire him, and that he was actually fired due to one of his colleagues discovering that he has AIDS. Beckett decides to sue the firm, but no attorney will take him on due to the power that his employers have. This is when he falls in to the graces of lawyer Joe Miller (Denzel Washington). Miller isn’t too fond of homosexuals, and is also paranoid of how AIDS is contracted. But, he grudgingly accepts for the money and exposure.
Philadelphia was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to bring the controversy of HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia to the masses. Directed by Jonathan Demme, Philadelphia delves deep into the public’s warped mentality against trivial matters such as sexuality and highlights how uneducated people were with HIV/AIDS and how it was contracted. Philadelphia really opens your eyes of how far we’ve come as a society dealing with this disease.
“Where is your compassion, Gentlemen?”
For a film such as this, it’s inevitable that Miller overcomes his prejudices of homosexuality and misconceptions of AIDS. But Demme displays this in such a powerful way that it strikes a chord and showcases that one man can change your perspective on things. This is showcased through a certain scene where Beckett is describing a favourite Opera song of his to Miller, and Miller loses all his preconceptions and see’s Beckett for who he really is. A man teetering on the edge of life. Philadelphia acts as a wakeup call of how to act as a human being. To rid yourself of all these trivial misconceptions and take life for what is it, and love each other with all you have because you never know how long you’re going to be here. And the ending…I’d suggest you get your tissues ready. It’s inevitable, but the coupling of Neil Young’s ‘Philadelphia’ and superb editing results in an emotional mess.
Before you watch this 90s landmark, I suggest that you listen to the soundtrack first. It really helps set the tone of the film, with some of my favourite artists: Peter Gabriel, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.