I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
This film I believe is one of the earliest films to throw a light on what actually happened when the HIV virus was discovered and how the whole gay community reacted to it. The film revolves around a group of friends who are shown related to one another in one way or other. It shows what's the affect of the virus on the lives of these people as it devastates the lives of our characters. As the film progresses, we are introduced to a group of gay friends and their mates, who spend much time together in vacationing on Fire Island, the gay resort, and in the hospital visiting each other when stricken with the unknown disease that has become a plague amongst us today. It is difficult to tell the plot as one specific story because there are many characters inter-woven but again, this has to be the arguably best movie which truly depicts gay life in 80s and the fact that how people reacted to it. Plus the fact that there can be true friendship even within gay community was very heartwarming to see.The movie is true to life with some of the best performances from the characters. Everyone was great. In fact a couple of scenes did bring tears to your eyes. I personally was choking just to realize that there must have been people in real life who must have gone through a similar situation. I was scared to even think about that and this led me with feeling sad for them. The scene where a lover tells his dying partner that its ok to die and leave all the worries is the BEST scene of the movie. Another one when one of the lover is crying afer he knows that his partner has caught the virus is also very touching. Without being in your face, these scenes tell you whatreal love is all about. Some of the hospital scenes are deadly, scary but very touching in a different sense.
Today we all keeping talking about safe sex etc but after you see this movie, you will realize how serious you should be about i. Because you definitely don't want to end up being one of those dying characters in the movie. Interestingly, the title of the film comes from the New York Times' refusal to acknowledge homosexual relationships in their obituary section during this period. Instead, survivors were referred to as "Longtime Companions" of the deceased.
A highly recommend film for everyone to see. You'll come away with a different attitude about not only gay life, but the killing HIV disease. (8/10)
Comments
The scene where the lover releases his lover into death, "giving him permission" to die, is now iconic; that one scene alone makes this movie a classic.
I first saw this movie with a friend of mine who had lost almost every single friend and lover he ever had had due to AIDS (fortunately, HE never got it), and when there was that powerful "reunion" scene at the end of the movie when all the people came back (memories of how they were, or the hope of reuniting with them in a dimension after death), he just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed...I had never seen a man cry so much before, not like that. (I realize that you never quite reach the deepest level of intimacy with a man until you have heard him cry like that, or with a woman until you have seen her in a Cleopatra-like bed-stabbing rage, and they are willing to do these things in your presence.) But now I can't really see that film again (well, I CAN, but I better have with me a box of Kleenex), because now that scene not only has its own meaning, but I also hear in my mind my friend's sobbing, again.
Another movie you may want to see on this subject (unless you've already seen it) is probably the most powerful documentary I have ever seen, "Common Threads", about the AIDS memorial quilt and some of the stories of the real life people whose friends chose to honor them by making a panel for them in the quilt. Hell, I cannot even listen to the Bobby McFerrin theme music without crying. Here, listen to this and see if it makes you want to rent that movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju69Ty6ndgs
(I like your review, btw... "Common Threads" was also once a favorite, but (for me) it brings back too many soul-numbing memories and long missed ghosts to ever watch it again.)