I happened to catch the last 1/2 of Part I of the video made for tv titled Angels in America directed by Mike Nichols in 2003 on HBO TV. It reminded me how absolutely great Angels was to see the first, second and third time round. Yes that is how much I loved that movie. And, yes I did see the original play in LA and I liked it then too, although I felt the video version improved my understanding of the themes and symbolism. I have a friend who hated the movie and have known other people who really didn't care for it or were kind of neutral about it. I have never been able to understand this as my lover and I were absolutely enthralled with everything about Angels.
Angels captured the feeling of what the AIDS epidemic was like for people affected in the 80's. The religious exploration and heavenly drama that haunts the main characater Prior Walter is so full of feeling it knocked me over emotionally. Everything that happens in the movie including the exquisite acting of Al Pacino's playing Roy Cohn is surreal. That included Meryl Streep's portrayal of Ethel Rosenberg and her entrance early in the movie as an old Jewish Rabbi (male) is quite
surprising but good.
I need to take the time to see the whole movie a fourth time when I have the 5-6 hours of time again to put aside for seeing this brilliant cast again. I wonder if it is the period of time that is depicted by the video and the focus, on Gay males, Jewish New York characters, the McCarthy period, the religious questioning, the racist bluntness portrayed by the Roy Cohn character, the compassion toward Roy that both Ethel and the Norman character display toward Roy if that is what it is. I'll never understand why everyone doesn't see Angels as the best, the absolutely best of its kind ever. If you haven't seen it, please do but don't let me know you didn't like it. That would be too much to bear again.
Written by Tony Kushner, Directed by Mike Nichols, Acted by Al Pacino- Roy Cohn Meryl Streep- Rabbi Isidor Chemelwitz/Hannah Porter Pitt/Ethel Greenglass Rosenberg/The Angel Australia Emma Thompson- The Angel of America/Nurse Emily/Homeless Woman Mary-Louise Parker- Harper Amaty Pitt Jeffrey Wright- Norman 'Belize' Arriaga/Mr. Lies/The Angel Antarctica Patrick Wilson- Joe Pitt Ben Shenkman- Louis Ironson/The Angel Europa James Cromwell- Doctor Henry Brian Markinson- Martin Heller Robin Weigert- Mormon Mother Jeff Aaron- Park Patron Justin Kirk- Prior Walter/The Man in the Park.
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