BENNETT INVENTORY : That Moment

Philadelphia -- I am love

All art should strive to move and change its audience in profound ways. Cinema is no exception. Some of its greatest works have united people throughout the past century. Filmmakers have a unique ability to illustrate feelings and help their viewings navigate them in a safe way. 

   Any cine-buff knows the story of why Jonathon Demme made Philadelphia. While Silence of the Lambs was met with enormous critical success, it was slammed by the LGBTQIA+ community, for painting transexuals in a negative way, and being too mean. This backlash was directed at Demme himself, and it deeply depressed him, because it was quite inaccurate to his personal beliefs and tolerance of sexuality. This inner conflict resulted in his followup feature; a movie that holds its viewers hands, and immerses you in its heart. And if you have any love or empathy in you, you will be a different person when the credits are through rolling.

   It's largely very hard to watch, because it hurts so much. There's this one part where the film's two central figures are stripped naked of their walls and preconceived notions of each other. We're yanked from this otherwise traditional courtroom drama and confronted with artsy camera angles, harsh red lighting, and moving opera music, that are all intrigal to the plot of this moment.

  

   I love this scene, but honestly trying to put my feelings about it into words is hard. Really hard. Because for me, it's very emotional. Andrew Beckett is visibly worn down from his affliction, but this does not stop him from baring his soul to Joe Miller, a stern homophobe. 

   It makes me cry. This is the epitome of heartbreak. We see a person maneuver through their mindset beginning with hate and misunderstanding and completing with love and acceptance; all in approximately 5 minutes, where he says very little, and we're simply reading his eyes: an open and more enlightened man at the end of his life chooses to make change in the world and also in one man, before making the great exit. And a person that is making the final transition knows our biggest secret: We're all in this together, so let's all take care of each other. Love erases everything else.

- Babes