“Silverlake Life: The View from Here” by Tom Joslin and Peter Friedman

“Silverlake Life: The View from Here” (1993) is not a typical documentary about AIDS. There are no footnotes in this film. No historical context or textbook definitions are given. While the protagonists visit many doctors and healers throughout the film, their practices and treatments are never explained. Instead, “Silverlake Life” is a love story that documents the incredible highs and devastating lows that two men—two lovers—share as they live day-to-day with AIDS.

The two men in question are Tom Joslin, a former UCLA film professor, and his lover Mark Massi. Initially, Tom planned to document his lover’s AIDS-related decline in health as a means of revealing the impact of the disease on everyday life. However, this plan changes from the outset of the film when Tom himself is diagnosed with AIDS. The natural narrative that unfolds after this devastating death-sentence follows Tom’s frustrations as he tries to balance normal living with the daily routine of medical and spiritual treatments to prevent the progression of his AIDS.

One scene in particular encapsulates Tom’s frustrations when he and Mark go on a small trip to the pharmacist. The scene is set up after a clip of Tom’s doctor filling what appears to be an herbal prescription for a Kaposi’s Sarcoma drug. The film then cuts to an incredibly angry Tom, who we find out has been riding along with Mark for some time as they run additional errands. In this moment we how Tom’s resents his illness. He feels weak and tired, and the day-trip, which he recognizes as an event that most healthy people wouldn’t even think about, drains him until he lashing out at Mark. Many scenes in the film follow this note as Tom tries to raise awareness for how hard it is for AIDS-sufferers to remain patient and calm as simple chores become exhausting affairs.

Even viewers who have had no personal experience with AIDS can relate to Mark’s loss.

In climax of the film, Tom passes away on camera in his bed. Although we expect this moment as we watch Tom’s health slowly deteriorate over the course of the film, the sudden realness of his passing still shocks the viewer. In this profound moment, even those who have had no personal experience with AIDS can relate to Mark’s loss. As Tom’s long-time caretaker, he knew this would happen, yet when Tom is finally released, Mark’s shock is devastatingly clear.

While the film is primarily meant to raise awareness for both gay rights and AIDS, the depiction of Tom’s illness, his eventual death, and the feeling of loss that he leaves behind are all keys to our lives as we must learn to cope with illness and mortality. “Silverlake Life” takes us on a journey of love, loss, frustration—of life in the face of death and illness. Above all, it shows that although there will be bumps along the way, you are never alone.

Related SevenPonds Articles:

• Living with AIDS
• Passage Quilting AIDS in the Grieving Process
• Remembering “Brownie Mary”, an Unexpected Angel to AIDS Patients in San Francisco