So I just finished watching the second part of Angels in America: Perestroika. My line has been, generally, that the first play is better than the second one. Due to the fact that the second one answers questions too eagerly, and there’s some really wonky stuff, notably the scenes in heaven, and the whole bit with Roy Cohn in hell. While we’re at it, the whole Ethel Rosenberg stuff was a bit far fetched.
Well HBO cut the Roy Cohn in hell scene, and I really liked how the scene in heaven worked out. Ethel was still a little over done, but it worked out more or less.
And I must say that the “answers” given, really aren’t answers in the aspect that they don’t really provide real closure, they just say “it isn’t over yet, there’s so much more to see.” Which is totally true, and satisfying. Maybe it’s more satisfying because I know that in the 14 years since the end of the epilogue, 33 anti-retroviral drugs have been developed, Ronald Ragan died a miserable death, and the world hasn’t ended yet, and there’s a hell of a lot yet to see.
No mater how avoidant of conclusions I might be in my day-to-day intellectual life, I really do like a good conclusion that makes me smile and cry at the same time.
I guess that’s something I have to keep working on.