‘American Crime Story’: A Criminally Silent Portrayal of The HIV/AIDS Epidemic?
From OJ Simpson to Gianni Versace, the ‘American Crime Story’ phenomenon continues to explore the most controversial police cases in recent, American history. Andrew Cunanan, convincingly played by Darren Criss, becomes the mysterious focal point of the newest series: The Assassination of Gianni Versace, currently showing in the UK on BBC2.
As the sadomasochist, serial killer that the FBI famously failed to bring to justice, Andrew Cunanan’s case calls for an attempt to penetrate the mind of a sociopath, capable of five murders in the space of three months. However, the series’ portrayal of victims extends far beyond Gianni Versace himself (played by Edgar Ramirez) and his family, to imply the victimisation of an entire community by another notorious killer: HIV/AIDS.
This ‘American Crime Story’ becomes two-fold: the primary and particular murder of the fashion legend, Gianni Versace, but, also, reminiscent of the parallel and widespread death caused by America’s HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Both Cunanan and Versace, along with a great proportion of the Miami population, were gay men living in a time at the impossible height of this epidemic and the show, rightly so, does not hide away from this fact. The setting of South Beach, home to the famous Versace mansion, is one that offered comfort and an affordable lifestyle for a generation of men battling AIDS in the mid-90s. Even today, Miami remains the number one city for HIV transmission in the United States and, as such, panoramic shots of the coastline couldn’t achieve an accuracy of this period without catching its abundance of suffering.
Yet, whilst visually illustrating an existence of the issue, a verbal dialogue appears lacking. The cameras span past the vast crowds of strikingly thin men on Miami Beach, follow Gianni to a treatment consultation in hospital, observe Donatella’s attempt to hide her brother’s diagnosis and Antonio’s struggle to come to terms with the idea. Condensed into the first two episodes, all of these scenes are indicative of the presence of this evil and still, the actual word “AIDS” is only ever spoken once.
Michael Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS, has drawn upon a correlation between our perception of AIDS and the power it holds over us:
“Whenever AIDS has won, stigma, shame, distrust, discrimination and apathy was on its side. Every time AIDS has been defeated, it has been because of trust, openness, dialogue between individuals and communities, family support, human solidarity, and the human perseverance to find new paths and solutions.”
Therefore, in understanding dialogue to be the key to society’s strength in the face of this disease, are the team behind ‘American Crime Story’ guilty of imposing a greater silence? The show’s creator, Ryan Murphy has commented that “I think it’s moving and powerful, and I don’t think there should be any shame associated with HIV”. But, very vocal on this representation, David Kaufman has questioned that if there is in fact no shame, “why then render these men nearly voiceless props against Miami’s sunny shores?”.
In the episode of ‘Manhunt’, Ronnie, portrayed by Max Greenfield, is a survivor of the disease, having come to Miami to die, but spared this fate by the surging success of anti-HIV medications. Yet, even he can only speak in allusions, failing to actually name his own condition. Similarly, Versace’s nurse talks of new therapies, but no specifics are mentioned to enlighten viewers.
Arguably, a justification for this ambiguity can be found in his family’s denial of claims that Versace himself was HIV positive. For the writers and producers to name Gianni with this specific diagnosis could open the show up to be sued for defamation. Still, even the insinuation of such an experience has seen Donatella speak out to criticise the program for its portrayal, fuelling the rumours previously sparked by Maureen Orth’s investigative publication: ‘Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History’.
However, Versace is evidently not the only case to be discussed on the show. Why not have one of the other, many men painted as ill and dying, such as Ronnie, vocalise the struggle? It is understandable that, to remain as true as possible to these real life events, Murphy would not wish to make explicit what is only speculation and yet, the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Miami in the 1980s/90s is no speculation. In fact, it is the one element of the show that requires no speculation at all, unlike the specific actions and intentions behind Cunanan’s multiple murders.
The visual prevalence of the disease throughout these episodes, inadvertently, must bring the epidemic to the forefront of the drama. In being so acknowledged by the creators, a sense of anticipation for the moment that it becomes openly acknowledged by its characters becomes inevitable. Hence, the anticlimactic failure to allow just this, sees the show limit itself to only scratch the surface of this very intoxicating existence.
The dialogue is silent and purely creative. Fellow sufferers speak only symbolically, through presentation, placed amongst one another in an obvious statement of their shared condition, but never allowed to give it a voice. As Kaufman argues, it is as though the issue of HIV is subordinated to a more aesthetic role. The presentation of Miami becomes juxtaposed, painting a depressingly dark image of death against its idyllic coastline: a conflict that forms the perfect setting to reflect the sociopathic tendencies of its murderous inhabitant. Despite achieving a potentially powerful ‘speechlessness’ and fulfilling an artistic approach to the issue, a much more painful echo of the historic ignorance at this time can be found to overshadow.
American Crime Story:The Assassination of Gianni Versacesets itself up for the most revelatory education on one of the least discussed issues of this depicted era and yet, somehow, fails to recognise and fulfil that potential. Its own documented picture of death is crying out for an analysis just as justified as one into the particular murder of Gianni Versace and hopefully, will arrive before the series ends.
