Guest Review: Rent DVD

Actors: Taye Diggs, Jesse Martin, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Rapp

Directors: Chris Columbus

Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

DVD Release Date: 14 Aug 2006

Run Time: 129 minutes


The film (based on the hit Broadway musical) has many themes including sexuality, drugs and money struggles with paying vast amounts of rent. However, the iconic topic to this film is the struggle of the community living under the shadow of AIDS and HIV. Several of the characters in the film are suffering with AIDS and HIV including;


Tom Collins (an anarchist philosophy professor),

Angel Dummott-Schunard (a gay drag queen street musician),

Roger Davis (an ex-heroin addict rock musician) and

Mimi Marquez (a heroin addict and nightclub dancer).

Although people may be turned off this film due to the subject matter, the musical numbers included in the film really explain the themes. Such musical numbers include;

“One Song Glory”- a song about writing one last song before dying of AIDS.

“Life Support”- defining the struggle of AIDS and the desire to live their last years to the fullest.

“Will I?”- questioning how their lives will continue now that they have AIDS.

All of these songs talk of the battle of living with AIDS and these songs truly touch the audience and give them a different view of people who live with the life-threatening disease that is AIDS. We eventually get to the harsh reality of this condition as one of the main characters who was suffering dies from the disease (I won’t tell you so not to ruin it ha ha!!!)

We see these characters over the course of a year and we see their struggles in their relationships, the hardship of living with AIDS and HIV and we see the battle of trying to pay vast amounts of money which they don’t have. Of course, just because of the main topic of AIDS, we shouldn’t forget the other characters featured in the film including;

Mark Cohen (A struggling Jewish filmmaker),

Maureen Johnson (a bisexual performance artist)

Joanne Jefferson (a lesbian Harvard-graduated lawyer)

Benjamin “Benny” Coffin III (an ex-roommate turned enemy)

If I was to rate this film, I would give it the best marks possible (not just because I’m a fanatic when it comes to musicals ha ha!!) due to the fact that it can change people’s opinions on a manner of the different themes given. This film is truly an iconic one and I hope that it will remain as a classic and it should never be forgotten.

I would like to thank Danni Year 12 for the wonderful review.