- a sample of feelings from watching the film "Philadelphia Story"
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In June 1981, the US Centers for Disease Control first notified the world of 5 very rare life-threatening cases, and put the disease Named "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome", which is now known as AIDS. For the next 30 years, AIDS has remained at the heart of legal, moral, ethical and medical debate. Today, the world's first case of a cured AIDS patient has appeared. Although some experts say that the cured case is not universal, in addition to giving more care to AIDS patients, we should also be cautious about the medical prospects of AIDS. optimism.
In recent years, AIDS-themed film and television works have also emerged, such as the documentary "Together" directed by Gu Changwei and the film "Favorite", both of which reflect the humanistic care for AIDS patients. Today, let's review the 1993 American legal film "The Philadelphia Story", which tells the story of a legal worker suffering from AIDS and bravely taking up legal weapons to defend his rights. This film marks that Hollywood no longer escapes reality and officially declares war on the AIDS epidemic in the United States. The
recently released film "Favorite" confronts the emotional life of AIDS patients. The hero and heroine in the film have the courage to break through the secular discrimination and realize the true bond between the soul and the body. The combination has touched countless audiences. This reminds me of the 1993 American movie "The Philadelphia Story", which also tells the story of an AIDS patient, but what is valuable is that it guides us to think about life, love, and individual rights from a legal perspective.
◎Life is bright because of resistance or moving because of vulnerability.
In the film, lawyer Andrew Beckett played by Tom Hanks unfortunately contracted AIDS because of his homosexual behavior. The law firm he works for is one of the best in the city. It is not easy to get into such a law firm, and he is well appreciated by his boss. But at the moment when his career continued to rise, the symptoms of AIDS appeared on him, and his boss, regardless of his sympathy, deliberately designed a trap to dismiss him. Andrew has since gone to court, disregarding his frail body, and fighting to defend his legitimate rights as a victim.
Andrew encountered a problem: this law firm is famous, many lawyers are afraid of avoiding "Ai", and they are unwilling to take over his tricky lawsuit. Faced with Andrew, who is sure to die and his death is just around the corner, why should other lawyers bother themselves.
It all unfolds through the reactions of Denzel Washington's Joe Miller. Joe met Andrew in his office who came to ask him to help him in the lawsuit. The latter told him everything calmly, but Joe's smile froze. He took a few steps back and looked in horror at the people he touched. Things on the desk, looking at the hand he just shook with the other person, he even went to the doctor to ask if it was all contagious.
Qiao is obviously the kind of person who protects himself. His wife just gave birth to a daughter for him. He loves her daughter in every possible way and is very careful to guard against the invasion of foreign "germs". It can be found that when the individual of life is still shining in the group, everyone thinks that you are the leader and the right-hand man of the leader, but once you violate the "precepts" and become a typical example of immorality, all honor and appreciation will be gone from you in an instant. Go away, and then you will be alone.
The movie tries to protest the authority with the help of weak forces. A fire of life that is about to die suddenly erupts with great energy. Andrew's lawsuit is finally won, but he died of illness. At the family condolence meeting, the video materials left by his childhood scrolled on the TV screen: Is life bright because of resistance, or moving because of vulnerability?
◎Social death outweighs physical sickness
Andrew was discriminated against not only because he was HIV positive. As we all know, there are three ways of AIDS transmission: mother-to-child, sexual intercourse and blood transmission. Among them, gay men are the high-risk group of AIDS. Since the first case of AIDS was confirmed in the United States in June 1981, 25 million people have died today. Another 34 million people are infected with this disease. The biggest reason why the boss of the law firm in the movie hates Andrew is that he is gay, because a female colleague in the company who also had AIDS was not fired. She was infected through blood transfusion. This distinction made Andrew unacceptable.
From the conversation between Andrew and Joe, we can learn that discrimination against persons with disabilities is expressly prohibited in US federal law, and AIDS is also within the scope of disability and protected by law. "Not only because of the patient's physical limitations, but also because of discrimination by the society, more precisely, this kind of social death... This kind of death exceeds the physical pain."
And in China, March 2006 The Regulations on AIDS Prevention and Control, which came into effect on January 1, and the Employment Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China, which came into effect on January 1, 2008, clearly stipulate that HIV-infected persons enjoy equal employment rights. In particular, Article 30 of the Employment Promotion Law stipulates that "an employer shall not refuse to hire a person on the grounds that he is a carrier of an infectious disease pathogen". It also prohibits employers from discriminating against applicants because of infectious diseases.
Under these express provisions, although AIDS patients can use the law to fight against their rights and interests in employment, etc., the invisible discrimination is everywhere, especially in the ignorant and backward remote rural areas. For the group of people shown in "Favorite", surrounded by "fever", the most terrifying thing is not the disease itself, but the endless indifference and ridicule. In that case, the most reliable person is the one who loves the most. body temperature.
This is also a bit dyed in the "Philadelphia Story". The director tries to treat gay people as the general population, and this attitude is shown through the eyes of Joe, who at first hated this group of people, but later he attended a make-up party organized by Andrew, and he saw this group of people on a blind date The scene of falling in love and getting along with each other, especially at the end of Andrew's life, his same-sex lover is still there for him, always by his side, this love scene deeply infected Joe.
◎A country with love will make all people "created equal"
The reason why this film was shot in Philadelphia also has its extraordinary significance. Philadelphia is a famous historical city in the United States. It played an important role during the American Revolutionary War. Two Continental Congresses were held from 1774 to 1775 and passed the Declaration of Independence, which marked the 13 British colonies in North America proclaiming their independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain . Jefferson once wrote that the Declaration of Independence was "an appeal to the world to judge." Since 1776, the principles of the Declaration of Independence have been preached to people all over the world. American reformers, whether to abolish slavery, ban racial segregation, or improve women's rights, must mention to the public that "all men are created equal."
In such a city where the slogan "All men are created equal" is shouted everywhere, it is shameful and unforgivable that unequal incidents occur. The existence of this kind of justice gives the film an invisible force, like the bronze statue of Washington that flashes by in the film. In addition to symbolizing the city's long and unique history, it also symbolizes the need to maintain the equality of citizens. escorted by rights.
The director did not blindly provocative, but showed the contradiction between life and rights from a humanized perspective. He even used some artistic means to analyze the inner world of the characters, such as the conversation between Andrew and Joe after the dance. Andrew explained to Joe the excerpt of the opera that was being played in an affectionate tone. It was "Andrea Senja" sung by the famous soprano Maria Callas, and the climax was the most touching part: the mournful voice of the heroine played by Callas when she faced the tragic situation in front of her mother's tragic death : "Live, I am life. Heaven is in your eyes. Is all blood and mud all around you? I am holy, I am redemption, I am God... From heaven, to make the earth into heaven. I am love! I am love!"
At this time, the director of the film used the close-up view and the blur of the dark red lights to highlight the mental state of the characters. Andrew's life is already at stake. Maybe we can guess from another angle. If he didn't have AIDS, but continued to play an important role in the law firm, won lawsuits and praises again and again, would he not have AIDS? Will you stop and look at your life? Will he be moved to tears by this opera? Maybe not. However, when he becomes a weak person, when he realizes the shortness of life, he may abandon everything and deeply realize all the beauty of life.
To fundamentally eliminate prejudice and discrimination against AIDS patients, people's viewpoints must be changed from medical and cultural perspectives. The law protects the rights and interests of these marginalized groups, but cannot change their fate of being discriminated against. When we see HIV-infected people bravely speaking out, appearing in university lectures and social welfare forums again and again, we applaud their courage. At the same time, we also need to cultivate our sympathy for the weak subconsciously.
With the development of science and technology and the improvement of laws, these intractable diseases will one day be solved. Just like today, it has been 30 years since the first case of AIDS was discovered in the United States. Drug treatment has saved the lives of 5 million AIDS patients. On May 12, 2011, an international research collaboration, the HIV Prevention Trials Network, also successfully tested a drug that prevents the HIV virus from replicating itself in the human body.
The times are waving the banner of progress, and hope is always becoming clearer and clearer. I believe that a country with love will make all people "created equal". This is also the truth that "The Philadelphia Story" tells us.
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