Making the best of a bad situation is often easier said than done. When characters live a life of poverty, several are battling life-threatening diseases, and it seems like there is absolutely no relief in the near future, a storyline can fall into a dark place. In 1996, Jonathan Larson thought differently. He took the daily struggles of the average person in East Village, New York along with inspiration from Giacomo Puccini’s opera, La boheme, and he created a piece of art that shed light on harsh truths in an upbeat way. Larson was able to focus on devastating topics while maintaining a sense of hope for each of the spirited characters.
In 2005, Chris Columbus took on the challenge of adapting Larson’s play, Rent, into a musical film to make the unique story more accessible to people. He managed to keep six of the original Broadway cast members, so the chemistry on set was already in motion. Rent focuses on drug addiction, loss, and poverty, but it also shows that friendship and love are not mutually exclusive with the difficulties that come with life. Check out how the film adaptation of Rent was still ahead of its time.
Everyone’s Acceptance of Angel
From her thrift-chic style to her witty one-liners, Angel Dumott Schunard takes the spotlight each time she is on the screen. When Angel and Collins first meet, she sees that he is in need of medical attention from recently getting assaulted. She gets right to the point of telling Collins that she will help bandage him up, and then she needs to attend an AIDS support group meeting. Collins, without hesitation, mentions that he too has AIDS. This matter-of-fact admittance does more than just let the audience know the two share a disease. It shows that a person can be battling something many others see as taboo, and they are unashamed that it is taking place in their life.
When Roger and Mark meet Angel, the two are a bit thrown off by the colorful drag queen, but they welcome her with warm smiles. Angel never apologizes for being herself, and that is a big part of her charm. However, her get-to-the-point attitude and genuine helpfulness is what makes everyone in her vicinity feel right at home.
Proud LGBTQ+ Couples
Whether it’s 1996, 2005, or even today, not everyone is accepting of LGBTQ+ couples. Larson, as well as Columbus, did not let that stop them from incorporating the queer community in Rent. With Angel and Collins, the two seem to be polar opposites yet soulmates at the same time. Angel is a feisty drag queen with all the street-smarts in the world while Collins is a former philosophy professor. These two are the only couple within the production who demonstrate what it is like to be in a healthy and committed relationship.
On the other end, there is Joanne and Maureen, who seem to be in constant battles due to their opposite personalities and the latter’s sexual energy towards others. Similar to Angel and Collins, these two women have a lot of differences: their race, background, hobbies, careers, and even their views on commitment. Though they wade through a rocky relationship, the two always come back to one another because of the love they share. Their relationship sheds light on the challenges any two individuals can and often do face in a relationship regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
Social Class Discussions
It is often said that discussing one’s finances with others is rude. However, when it comes down to having the electricity cut off and being thrown out on the streets, it is safe to say an open discussion is warranted with the right people. Maureen, as well as dozens of others, believes that a protest will be more efficient when it comes to addresses the socioeconomic divide in the city rather than a civil conversation.
The rest of the main characters (aside from Benny) are in total support of her speaking out against wealthy individuals taking up land and space to make businesses that will further fatten their wallets while hundreds of others are left out in the cold to fend for themselves. Between Maureen’s avant-garde protest and the one-on-one conversations between characters, the topic of poverty and the struggle to survive in a brightly lit and thriving city is a recurring theme.
HIV/AIDS Discussions
To the average person, the 1980s are best known for the music that came out, films that dealt with angsty teens, and many creative fashion choices. In America, however, another event would also go down in history during that time period: the AIDS Epidemic. HIV and AIDS cases were skyrocketing at the time, and people were becoming fearful towards members of the LGBTQ+ community as a result of misinformation, bigotry, and ignorance. Larson was well aware of this while he was creating Rent, so he decided to make a statement about what was happening in real life with his musical.
Angel and Collins are gay men openly living with AIDS. They attend group meetings and find comfort in telling their stories and hearing about the lives of others in their situation. Mimi and Roger, however, discover that the other is HIV positive, and they are both are trying to manage it with medication. By including different stages of the virus and opening the conversation up to how the characters deal with it, Larson was creating a safe space for people to feel heard and loved. No one is afraid of these characters or makes them feel “less than”. Instead, people are supportive, hopeful, and loving towards them.
