Adam Gale: Acts From a Life (with AIDS)

One man's premature journey into that good night is the tragic theme of this documentary which records the final months of an AIDS victim's life. We watch Adam Gale, a performance artist and dancer, receive treatments, kibitz with friends and, in the production's better moments, reflect on his life and terminal affliction, but this docu-diary never really draws us into his epic personal struggle. Instead, we observe his not-so-gradual deterioration from a distant perspective, peripherally and detached, as if forced to watch an indulgent home movie out of politeness or social acquiescence. Unlike the far superior Silverlake Life: The View From Here (VL-11/94) which was definitive in its depiction of the drama surrounding an AIDS-related death, there is no family or significant other for us to empathize with, no concerned friends or co-workers. We would have needed to meet the family that is mentioned but not shown, and heard friends and colleagues speak about Adam Gale for this presentation to have achieved real pathos. The camerawork and sound are adequate, and some innovative music does what it can to blend scenes and punctuate the mood, but ultimately, this is not a necessary purchase. Aud: P. (W. Pierce)