Film Review - 1985 (2018)

Director Yen Tan seems to have developed a skilled eye for sensitive portrayals of the LGBTQ+ community. 1985 is Tans latest extension of his 2013 film Pit Stop, which also utilized Texas as its stifling small-town backdrop. 1985 follows the return of closeted AIDS sufferer Adrian, who previously fled his prejudicial hometown for the liberation of the city. Shot in beautiful 16mm greyscale, Tan produces an acute focus on what so many people suffered during the AIDS crisis. Not only having to face a terminal illness but the homophobia that comes with it. As this wasn’t enough, Adrian makes an effort to mask both from his family.

Tans film is tense with suppressed emotion, suffocating both the protagonist and the audience alike. Bibles and prayers plague 1985, acting as reminders of the intolerance many American homes did (and still do) practice. The stereotypical homophobic father, forcing masculinity onto his sons, is given more layers in Tans exploration of small-town life. Though still intensely frustrating to watch, Adrian’s dad tells us his war-ridden backstory. This, alongside the fact his own father was even more brutal, adds a depth of understanding to Tans characters. Perhaps even amplifying our frustrations as we want to like them. In contrast, the mother radiates warmth and love. Welcoming her son after his years away. Again, this makes her constant smothering to get a girlfriend and ‘eat some cake’ that much more aggravating, as we know it comes from a well-meaning place. Thus, we find it hard to simply like or dislike them.

Not many characters appear in Tans short 85-minute domestic drama. The close-knit community adds a sense of entrapment to the film, enabling us to empathize with our protagonist. The only relief we do get is from characters Carly and Adrian’s little brother. The generational divide is highlighted through the younger characters need to hide part of themselves from their parents; something many modern viewers will relate to. Politics and religion are subtly interwoven to develop this divide on a larger scale, whilst still focusing on Adrian’s personal experience as one many probably had. The films catharsis is never played on too heavy, with an ambiguity to the ending that leaves questions pondering even after the credits have rolled.

1985 manages to deliver on key themes and messages whilst barely mentioning them. I don’t even know if the word AIDS is ever said. Adrian panicking over a small cut on his finger or talking about the 6 funerals he’d been to that year is enough to tell us everything we need to know. Never overstating, Tan’s film is riddled with emotion that boils beneath its restrained exterior. The colourless cinematography is at once intimate and cold. The narrative acts as a social commentary. But equally engages us on a personal level. A niche LGBTQ+ is probably the most rewarded with this independent human exploration. However, I think its important for other audiences to watch, too. When removed from the AIDS crisis, the messages Tan gives are just as crucial in 2018 as they were in 1985.