The Importance of Roger Spottiswoode’s Screen Adaptation of And The Ban

The Importance of Roger Spottiswoode’s Screen Adaptation of And The Band Played On [1] Hollywood is no longer just a name, it is a business, a living entity holding America’s people in its grasp, and it is not about to let them go. Gradually taking on more responsibility and trying to build up its reputation over the years, Hollywood has progressively assumed the position of history-teller for the American public. This role, whether or not an appropriate one for an industry such as Hollywood to tackle, has catapulted actors and actresses into high paying, high visibility positions. History has and will continue to be one of the main subjects that the movie industry has been fascinated with. It is an alive and very fragile subject that, through its multi-dimensional character, requires careful attention by everyone involved in the project. Whenever Hollywood tackles an historical topic, whether portraying a non-disputable factual event or only a vaguely one, the industry is bound to encounter dispute and criticism. [2] Regardless of how careful the director, producer, and actors are at being loyal to the subject matter, then, the question still remains whether or not Hollywood is a legitimate resource for historical matter. Is it possible for a dramatic, high priced and glitzy medium to be honest and true to its subject matter in such a way that viewers are not confused but more educated walking out than they were walking in? Is the Movie Theater any place for history to be learned? Directors fight and argue that indeed Hollywood is equally as reliable and legitimate a source as other "texts." The movies provide a more immediate resource, allowing history to change from the dreaded school subject to an appea... ...-. Conduct Unbecoming: Lesbians and Gays in the U.S. Military: Vietnam to the Persian Gulf. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1993. ---. The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life & Times of Harvey Milk. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1982. â€Å"The True Virus.† The Economist 8 June 1991 (v319 n7710): 83. Video Against AIDS. v1-3. Curated by John Greyson and Bill Horrigan. The Video Data Bank with V Tape/Canada, 1988 Voices From the Front. Video. Dir. Robyn Hutt, David Meieran and Sandra Elgear. Cinemax/Vangaurd Cinema, 1991. Wallis, Claudia. â€Å"Battling AIDS; More Misery, Less Mystery.† Time 29 April 1985: 68. Weintraub, Bernard. â€Å"Stars Flock to Be in HBO Film About the Early Years of AIDS.† Rev of And the Band Played On, by HBO Productions. New York Times 11 Jan 1993, Current Events ed.: C11. Werth, Barry. â€Å"By AIDS Obsessed.† GQ Aug 1991.