In the 1970s an epidemic known as AIDS began to circulate amongst the gay community. Unsure of its causes, scientists were kept speechless for some time. During that time much skepticism was thrown about as to where the 'virus' came from and how it was spread. But even with all of the confusion one thing was for sure, it was occurring in the gay male community and for that reason, many people chose to ignore it. But three men wouldn't let it rest. Richard Berkowitz, a revolutionary gay S&M hustler turned activist, Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, an AIDS doctor, and Michael Callen, a musician and activist, worked together to not only raise awareness for this deadly disease but to find a way for gay men to keep their provocative lifestyle without putting themselves at risk for AIDS. The result was the 'safe sex' campaign. And though Berkowitz has never been publicly recognized for his work in making sex safer for gay males, Sex Positive pulls out all the stops, making sure that the general public knows who to thank for the millions of saved lives.
Told through personal interviews and historical footage, Sex Positive successfully grasps the realness to the situation of AIDS and helps to educate its viewers on both the history of the 'safe sex' program and the importance that it serves today. The information is vital and the interviews are personal as we get to meet the real Richard and see his passion for his cause.
When you shoot a documentary, the subject matter seems to ultimately make or break the final product. However, I feel that Sex Positive relied more on activist Richard Berkowitz than anything else. Using up-close and personal interviews to get to the bottom of the story, director Daryl Wein builds on emotion, knowledge and most importantly"¦experience. Berkowitz's interviews are real, they are intelligent and they hare information, all coming together to create a moving ride through one of the darkest times in medical history.
However, Berkowitz wasn't the only good thing about the film as its overall subject, though frightening to many is handled well. My props go to director Daryl Wein for not only researching such an important topic, but for capturing the information that he did and presenting it in an informative and entertaining way. His style is nothing special; however, the information that he was able to get, the points that he presents and the change that he can make is huge, thus making his film an important one at the very least.
The film is good, entertaining and should be watched by everyone. The knowledge that you can acquire from the hour and fifteen minutes sitting in a theater seat could ultimately save your life or the life of those you love. Do yourself a favor and see this film, it will be worth it.
