In the aftermath of Stonewall, a newly politicized Vito Russo found his voice as a gay activist and critic of LGBTQ+ representation in the media. He went on to write "The Celluloid Closet", the first book to critique Hollywood's portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his death in 1990.
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2/12/18. Vito Russo was the film historian who wrote the "Celluloid Closet." While this film is supposed to be a biopic about Vito, the outspoken gay activist and founding father of the gay liberation movement, it is really about being gay in America. It covers the rise of the gay lifestyle in the '60s (lots of anonymous unprotected sex), its struggle to outlive the growing AIDs epidemic in the '70s (from all the unprotected sex) and its quest for acceptance and civil rights in the '80s. Gay men who knew him spoke more about what it was like being gay than about their relationship with Vito. All in all you will develop a better understanding of what it's like to be gay, before the reality of HIV/AIDS, during those decades and the issues they were grappling with. Good documentary worth seeing.
Although I am a gay man, from the same generation and roughly the same age as Vito Russo, I'm reviewing this movie as a movie, rather than as a documentary about the gay rights movement.There are lots of documentaries about that movement, but none of them are great movies. This one is. It is fascinating from beginning to end.There's not one bit of martyr worship in this movie, as there always is in movies about Harvey Milk, for example. Vito, the movie, is just as smart and funny and honest and gentle and riveting and uncompromising as Russo was himself.He was such a marvelous man that there's no need to paint him as a hero or a martyr or as anything else but just himself. I never felt like I was being preached to or manipulated in any way at all while watching this movie. I was just being allowed to visit with a really fantastic human being.What a treat this movie is! I feel now like Vito is an old and very dear and very delightful personal friend. I look forward to meeting him for real when I get to where he is now.
Just recently watched this HBO doc called "Vito" and I must say it was touching as it was informative and educational to show how one man a gay one in Vito Russo stood up and fought for his rights along with thousands of other gays during the 1980's at the height of the AIDS dawn. His story showed courage as it was personally touching to anyone it proves that anyone should fight for what they believe in.Interesting is seeing how Vito started film night with his gay buddies as he showed films that were classic and they involved gay characters! His doc even would go on to the art houses and gay cinema. And Vito's outspoken words against right wing political and Christian groups during the 80's was touching showing that he was the voice of courage during the dawn of the AIDS crisis. This man will be remembered as a leader and a voice of courage for the gay community as really anyone can take his inspiration his image and words of courage and freedom rights still rings long after his 1990 death!
I had never heard of Vito Russo before I watched this documentary, which makes me feel a bit bad. He was highly influential in both the gay rights and AIDS awareness campaigns, eventually dying of AIDS-related complications in 1990.I have to admit, I was a little bit worried that the documentary would be too niche for me to enjoy. I had just watched a documentary about bird watchers in Central Park, and that had been a bit boring. So, when I saw that this was about a gay rights activist, I was a little skeptical that it might interest me, even though I'm a big supporter. It turns out that this is actually quite well done, with some interesting interviews and enough information that people like me can understand the importance and influence of Vito Russo.As the documentary went on, I found myself more and more impressed with Russo, agreeing with him quite often. It would have been interesting to see what he thought of Clinton and his "don't ask, don't tell" policy. I have a feeling that Russo would have blasted Clinton for that. Unfortunately, we'll never know.While not quite as good as Crumb or King of Kong, this is still a good documentary, and I can readily recommend it to anyone, as long as they're not homophobic. Russo was a progressive, so his politics may alienate Republicans, but I doubt that many of them are going to be watching this, anyway.