"Philadelphia" Scene

After watching the movie Philadelphia for my second time, I realized that one moment really sticks out to me. In particular, it is the scene where Denzel Washington (black lawyer) places the face mask upon Tom Hank's (protagonist with AIDS) face. This scene really sticks out to me because it exemplifies Washington's character's maturation at the end of the movie.

In the beginning of the movie, Washington is afraid to be near let alone touch Tom Hank's due to the stigma of AIDS during the 1980s. Throughout the course of the movie though, Washington's character realizes that as long as he does not have "intimate" contact with Hanks, he cannot possibly contract the vile disease. This realization prompts Washington to become closer to Hanks, and lets him see past the medical and social stigma of AIDS. During the face mask scene, Washington shows that he completely dropped his bias against gays and his fear of AIDS by coming into contact with Hanks. Washington is no longer afraid of touching Hanks due to his understanding that Hanks is a person and that he cannot contract AIDS through touch, and that Hanks needed a relaible friend at the end of his life.

This scene is filled with pathos. It is suppose to evoke sorrow in the audience. It is also suppose to relieve the audience of their fear against contracting AIDS though touch, and the bias that homosexaual deserve to die of AIDS (plays into the whole movie). I, for one, found it a very touching scene, and that is why it stuck out to me so much.