For me, this is a film that actually improves with time. I'll never understand why a film should be penalized because it happens to portray life as it existed at the time it was made. While views of homosexuality and of the disease AIDS apparently have changed since the film was made over twenty five years ago, why should that make a difference to the quality of the film as a work of art? I was disappointed by the number of IMDb reviewers who lowered the film's rating only because they considered its subject "dated". We can and must learn from history. Today isn't everything, folks.
The film's excellence is the product of its overall direction by Jonathan Demme ("Silence of the Lambs", "Something Wild"), an outstanding, carefully compiled musical score, superb photography by Tak Fujimoto ("Badlands", "Melvin and Howard", "Ferris Buehler's Day Off", "Silence of the Lambs"), and exceptional acting both by the leads and a very talented supporting cast.
Fujimoto's unforgettable opening sequence that captures a city consisting of so many contrasting elements and different faces is one of the best film beginnings that I can remember. The lively beat of Bruce Springsteen's song "Streets of Philadelphia" provides the perfect accompaniment to the visuals. I also loved the later, aerial shot of the William Penn statue at the top of city hall as a dramatic reminder of the city's important role in our history as a nation that was founded on the principles of protecting the fundamental rights of its citizens.
Demme selected the musical items very carefully and very prudently. Unlike other reviewers, I feel that the mournful sound of Maria Callas singing "La Mamma Morta" ("They Killed My Mother") significantly contributes to the tragic atmosphere of a heart-wrenching story. Neil Young's stirring "Philadelphia" ends the film with the perfect sense of quiet, spiritual reflection. After such a tragic story, that is all that remains for us.
Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks both deliver stellar performances, and I don't know why Washington was not recognized for his first-rate portrayal of Joe Miller, the homophobic ambulance chaser who suddenly realizes that Andy Beckett (Hanks) is a victim of the same discrimination that Miller might have experienced at some time in his life as an African American. The dramatic change in Miller is handled very adeptly by Washington. Although Mary Steenburgen's name, which appears far down the list of acting credits, can easily be overlooked, her powerful performance as the brutally cold leader of the legal firm's defense team cannot possibly be ignored, no matter how she personally loathed the part. Antonio Banderas and Jason Robards, among others, provide outstanding support as well.
The film's excellence is the product of its overall direction by Jonathan Demme ("Silence of the Lambs", "Something Wild"), an outstanding, carefully compiled musical score, superb photography by Tak Fujimoto ("Badlands", "Melvin and Howard", "Ferris Buehler's Day Off", "Silence of the Lambs"), and exceptional acting both by the leads and a very talented supporting cast.
Fujimoto's unforgettable opening sequence that captures a city consisting of so many contrasting elements and different faces is one of the best film beginnings that I can remember. The lively beat of Bruce Springsteen's song "Streets of Philadelphia" provides the perfect accompaniment to the visuals. I also loved the later, aerial shot of the William Penn statue at the top of city hall as a dramatic reminder of the city's important role in our history as a nation that was founded on the principles of protecting the fundamental rights of its citizens.
Demme selected the musical items very carefully and very prudently. Unlike other reviewers, I feel that the mournful sound of Maria Callas singing "La Mamma Morta" ("They Killed My Mother") significantly contributes to the tragic atmosphere of a heart-wrenching story. Neil Young's stirring "Philadelphia" ends the film with the perfect sense of quiet, spiritual reflection. After such a tragic story, that is all that remains for us.
Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks both deliver stellar performances, and I don't know why Washington was not recognized for his first-rate portrayal of Joe Miller, the homophobic ambulance chaser who suddenly realizes that Andy Beckett (Hanks) is a victim of the same discrimination that Miller might have experienced at some time in his life as an African American. The dramatic change in Miller is handled very adeptly by Washington. Although Mary Steenburgen's name, which appears far down the list of acting credits, can easily be overlooked, her powerful performance as the brutally cold leader of the legal firm's defense team cannot possibly be ignored, no matter how she personally loathed the part. Antonio Banderas and Jason Robards, among others, provide outstanding support as well.