Realization of Social Implications

By Kristen Merlo

[1] Selection

Throughout Spottiswoode’s film, the viewers feel increasingly connected to the characters and their search for the missing links in the AIDS epidemic. As viewers, we are along for the ride -- watching carefully as the CDC team pieces together clues and connections between the dying patients. In addition to an understanding that this disease is complex and mysterious, the viewers also gain an understanding that the implications of sexuality that surround the disease are taboo. Spottiswoode emphasizes society’s views on AIDS and homosexuality especially effectively through the scene in which Dr. Jaffe and Selma Dritz attempt to prove AIDS infection transmission by blood transfusion. They visit the home of a dead man who was a blood donor and thus the potential missing link. Through this scene, Spottiswoode successfully presents a personal and emotional interpretation of the ways in which society, sexual behavior, and disease are ultimately interconnected.

[2] Background

Prior to this scene, Jaffe visits Betsy Reisz at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center where he learns of the case of a twenty-month-old infant who seems to be suffering from the symptoms of AIDS. The child has zero T-cells along with a number of opportunistic infections. Most importantly, at this young age he has already received multiple blood transfusions from thirteen different blood donors. Jaffe and Reisz know that if they can get a list of the donors, they might be able to discover the missing link. However, Reisz warns Jaffe that the blood bank will not release the names of the donors. Frustrated, Jaffe mutters, “the first irrefutable case caused by transfusions and these people are stonewalling us” (1:18:09). Luckily, Selma Dritz uses her connections and gets the list of donors, which includes one man who died from the disease two months earlier.

[3] Beginning

At the beginning of this scene, Jaffe and Dritz seem to have the tools that they need to prove that the disease is indeed transmitted by transfusions, but they face one major obstacle. One of the blood donors who has recently died from the disease is described by Dritz: “He was from one of the richest, most socially prominent families in town. He swore to his dying breath he wasn’t gay … His doctor said he died from encephalitis” (1:18:45). Jaffe is determined to find a way to prove that the man had sexual relations with another infected man. He suggests finding someone in town who might know another gay man that he had sex with or a discussion with the man’s family. As Jaffe and Dritz have their discussion, they dodge traffic while crossing a busy city street. Here, the director’s camera angles instill a sense of parallel -- just as the rest of the world seems to be ignoring AIDS and going about their bustling lives, Jaffe and Dritz seem alone in their struggle. Though they are physically surrounded by many other people, they are essentially isolated because of the disease’s association with homosexuality. Jaffe and Dritz arrive at the home of the dead man, where they find his brother (Steve Martin) polishing fine silverware. The first spoken words in this scene are “My brother wasn’t gay.” Steve Martin’s character is steadfast in upholding the prominence of his family and the integrity of his brother. The silent background of this scene is effectively juxtaposed against the earlier bustling city street, as the tension in the room rises. There are long pauses between each spoken sentence, as the viewer becomes increasingly aware of the private, personal nature of this interaction. The setting is no longer a hospital, but a home. And the subject matter is no longer purely medical, but also social and reputation-oriented.

[4] Scene Clencher

Though the tension is rising in this scene, all three characters -- Jaffe, Dritz, and Martin -- speak in low, calm voices. There is undoubtedly a feeling of mourning, as Martin’s brother has only recently died. Steve Martin offers a laundry list of his brother’s accomplishments and previous commitments, describing him as “meticulous” in everything that he did. The scene clencher comes when Martin elaborates upon this point, emotionally explaining that “He was meticulous … He was meticulous in concealing his other life … Even from me” (1:19:39). This scene gains its power from an absence of medical jargon, which is replaced by pure, simple human interaction and fear of betrayal. The camera often shows close-ups of Steve Martin’s face, and we can see his feeling of self-disappointment in his eyes. Towards the end of the scene, music swells in the background, as Jaffe and Dritz compile a game plan for their next course of action. However, it is the few moments of very personal interaction that make this scene especially powerful. Here, AIDS is brought down to a much more personal scale, as society’s tensions are paralleled by feelings of family obligation. Martin’s plea, “Please don’t ask me to betray him now,” epitomizes a realization of the social implications of AIDS (1:19:43).