1982's "Making Love" was a seminal achievement in gay themed cinema for mainstream audiences. At the time, it had been 12 years since "The Boys In The Band" made its breakthrough in portraying the lives of gay men of the liberated 60s and 70s. "Making Love" told the next important chapter in the story of our lives by illustrating the struggles of the closeted married gay man and his quest for truth and freedom.
Set and released just before the AIDS crisis reached the heights of fear and ignorance that would demonize and regress the progress of gays in the decade plus since Stonewall, and despite this film's altogether compassionate portrayals of early 1980s gay life, their roles in this film effectively destroyed the careers of Michael Ontkean and Harry Hamlin as people pointed to the AIDS/HIV crisis as proof that being gay was wrong.
It's altogether a beautiful film that still reveals the struggles that gay men endure even now more than 30 years since its release. It's a beautiful story of love and discovery and the consequences of our decisions.
"Fear Eats the Soul"
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