SYNOPSICS
Miss Evers' Boys (1997) is a English movie. Joseph Sargent has directed this movie. Alfre Woodard,Laurence Fishburne,Craig Sheffer,Joe Morton are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1997. Miss Evers' Boys (1997) is considered one of the best Drama,War movie in India and around the world.
In 1932 Macon County, Alabama, the federal government launched into a medical study called The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Blacks with Syphilis. The study selected 412 men infected with the disease and faked long term treatment, while really only giving them placebos and liniments. The premise of the action was to determine if blacks reacted similar to whites to the overall effects of the disease. The experiment was only discontinued 40 years later when a Senate investigation was initiated. At that time, only 127 of the original study group were left alive. The story is told from the point of view of Nurse Eunice Evers, who was well aware of the lack of treatment being offered, but felt her role was to console the involved men, many of whom were her direct friends. In fact, the movie's name comes from the fact that a performing dancer and three musicians named their act for her - "Miss Evers' Boys". All had the disease. A romance with one goes unrequited even after he joins the Army ...
Miss Evers' Boys (1997) Reviews
Response to "Pure Propaganda for the Ignorant"
I went to the "Spiked" website and read the article mentioned in the previous post. That article is a fancy bit of rationalization. The bottom line is you don't promise anyone hope in the face of possible death when that hope was nothing more than a lie to begin with. That is the heart and soul of why this movie is so important. It does expose a terrible lie perpetrated upon unsuspecting people. If they had been told the truth, it would have been morally different. In fact, the eventual monetary compensation the men and families received was too small for a lifetime of hopes and deception. The article on "Spiked" only made me appreciate the movie and the excellent acting all that much more. The acting was powerful, and it looked like a labor of love. I think everyone involved with this film must have felt the weight of purpose for getting out the truth of what had happened. It is one of the best acted, most well written movies ever and I encourage people to see it.
What in the World Did They Think They Were Doing??!!
*spoilers* It was hard for me to sympathize with the central character, Nurse Evers, portrayed by Woodard. I thought that she betrayed the men and was in denial. Subsequently, she was locked in because of the lying and deceit and tried to make up for it by dedicating her life to the men she helped deceived. That only resulted, however, in two more wasted lives, hers and the man that loved her. I kept wondering, what is wrong with this woman, is she nuts or what?! As far as I am concerned with the study conflicted with their true "calling" as health care professionals. During the senate investigation Ms. Evers (Woodard) was asked "What in the world did you think you were doing??!! My sentiments, exactly.
A film about science, well how INTERESTING!
First of all, I must say that this was one of the best TV movies I've ever seen. Not only were there quality actors (Alfre Woodard, Laurence Fishburn, Joe Morton), but the people involved succeeded in making this an honest drama and not one where the schmaltz comes dripping out of your screen. As for the film itself I must say that all the cast and crew were great and I had no complaints about the film, but one. I really missed that sarcastic edge in the end. I mean, if I was a director I would have blacked out the screen in the end and would have inserted the conclusion of the experiment there. You know a black screen with something like: Compared to whites, blacks do not react differently to syphilis.' taken from and so on. I would have really liked that, because I (as a first year psychology student) have read about a lot of experiments even now, some of which were morally more acceptable than others, but never in my life have I read something as terrible as this. Do not get me wrong, I understood the intention at the beginning of the experiment, but I think it was unhuman to go along with it. Even if some men had died from getting pene - something (an anti biotic), it would have been better than the terrible death they faced through syphilis. But what about science you ask? Screw the data! 7 out of 10
Wonderful but incredibly sad
I have seen this film several times and use it as a teaching aid when I teach my high school psychology class, as it brings up issues concerning unethical treatment as well as brain disorders (in this case syphilis). The film is VERY moving and you can't help but get absorbed into the film due to its excellent writing and characterizations. About the only reason the film doesn't merit a 10 is that the background for the movie is vague and I needed to research on my own. I found that the movie was based on a play which was a fictionalized account of a true study done in the Southern US. Like the real case, the participants were lied to and told they were getting treatment. As a result, most died a long and horrible death due to a slow disintegration of the brain. The character of Miss Evers, by the way, was fictional as were the names of the other participants. However, despite this, this in no way minimizes the horror of the real-life tale. This is a sad and moving must-see film.
Excellent Movie
Wow!! What a real eye-opener!! I had to watch this movie for a medical bioethics class and I really learned a lot from watching it. I thought the way things were presented were done quite well. It really showed me how cruel things were back in that time frame and opened my eyes to watch things around me in the present. What a shame that this event took place. How unfair it was to these poor men and their families. It makes me appreciate even more the stand that people take on behalf of others. I have to commend Miss Evers' for her dedication to these men and all that she tried to do to help them regardless of the consequences. It is too sad that she was not able to do more. As far as Dr. Brodus and the other Dr. goes, it is a shame that they were coerced into thinking that in just 6 mos to a year the funds would become available to give real treatment to these men. At the end, when there were so few men left alive, I am grateful that they were compensated somewhat for the suffering they had to endure. At the same time, it saddens me that so many had to die from this horrible disease to begin with even when the medication became available. My condolences to the families for sure and my gratitude to the AP for bringing this to the forefront.