Milk (2008)

Gus Van Sant has always been an excellent if somewhat eclectic director. Although I have enjoyed his previous efforts, I was somewhat apprehensive when I heard he was undertaking a film biography of Harvey Milk. A gay figure of this importance, I thought, should be handled by someone a little more mainstream. Like many gay people, I am weary of gay-themed films that reach no one beyond a gay audience, and the message I would want to emerge from a film about Harvey Milk should be heard by everyone.

As if reading my mind, Mr. Van Sant has fashioned a film that is accessible to all, while approaching his subject with sharp focus and a singleness of purpose that is at once definitive and topical. A stunning achievement, MILK manages to make its point without ever being preachy or trite, while remaining as true to the facts as any film bio could ever hope to be.

The film opens with snippets of gay history that many young gay people, let alone a straight audience, may be shocked to discover. During the opening credits, a barrage of vintage film clips remind us that a scant 50 years ago, gay men, lesbians and transsexuals were subjected to violence, harassment, physical abuse, arrest and humiliation by the very people that most citizens look to for protection; i.e. the police and judicial authorities. The newsreel images of gay bar raids that open MILK project a surreal yet somehow eerily familiar atmosphere that seems to alternate between the bizarre and the barbaric. Many people today are not aware that, in the 1940's and 1950's, right here in the USA, gay people were arrested for simply patronizing a gay bar (newspaper headline: "Den of Perverts Busted"). Many of those arrested had their names and employers published in the morning paper (!), and often found themselves unemployed and unemployable, branded with the label of "deviate". It is this chilling fact of social injustice that clears the way for the film's swing into a very important piece of gay history.

Skillfully telling us the story of Milk's rise as a leader in the Castro Gay Community of San Francisco, Harvey Milk is seen throughout the film as a living, breathing flesh and blood person. Van Sant adroitly propels Sean Penn through a warts-and-all portrayal of a frail human being with an idealistic bent and a politician's savvy. As with any good film, it is difficult, if not impossible, to discern which is more impressive the balance of a perfect cast and lovingly detailed direction weave their way through a seamless portrait of an important historical figure, yet we are somberly reminded that many people remember Harvey Milk solely for the "Twinkie" defense of his star-crossed killer. The end result is that gay audiences emerge from seeing this film with a sense of pride and purpose, while straight audiences leave with a better knowledge of who we (gay people) are, what we want, and what we are struggling for. By word of mouth I expected a thrilling cinematic experience; what I got was a surprisingly near-perfect motion picture and some of the best acting I've ever seen. I heartily recommend MILK to any straight person who wants to get a grasp on what the last 30 years of gay history were really all about, and any gay person who wants to feel good about themselves. MILK is a triumph. See it.

There's not much I can really add to the reviews that have already been given to this movie, so I'll simply echo its brilliance and importance and the way it grabs onto your attention, and your emotions, and never lets go. There is some amazing acting to be found here and no one over-acts or under-acts. Sean Penn was extremely deserving of his Oscar; I can't tell you how happy I was when his name was called, as when as when best original screenplay one the Oscar.

I really hope more people will give this movie a chance now that it's out on DVD. There are no more excuses to be made!

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I have noticed that the "1" and "2" starred reviews for "Milk" have been deleted and that disturbs me. Even if some ignorant pinhead writes something predictable such as "Sean Penn is a traitor" or "Hollywood is shoving the gay lifestyle down our throats" or "this goes against American values" there is such a thing as freedom of speech and even the simple minded have a right to be heard.

That being said "Milk", the latest movie by gifted director Gus Van Sant, is a success in every way. The movie tells the story of Harvey Milk, a man who ran for San Fransisco city supervisor several times, and lost, but eventually won an election in 1978. The reason why this was such a controversial election, of course was that Harvey Milk was a gay man who made no apologies for his sexual orientation. Although Milk is by no means a perfect human being he fights of challenges from the religious and conservative right who believed homosexuals were deviants and should not be allowed to be school teachers or belong in a 'civilized' society.

Harvey Milk is presented not as a man who is trying to shove anything in anyone's face, but as a man who is sick of being told there is something wrong with him and who wants the freedom to live without being told he is sick or he has some disease.

They key to the movie's greatness is, of course, Sean Penn's performance as Milk. Never once did I think I was watching Sean Penn pretend to be Harvey Milk. I was watching Harvey Milk the entire time. The key to a great performance is when you can forget this is an actor playing a character, the rest of the cast, including James Franco and Josh Brolin, also do an outstanding job.

"Milk" is not gay cinema. It's just great cinema.

Peace

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Milk is an excellent movie. Sean Penn gives a moving performance as city supervisor and gay rights activist Harvey Milk. I love Gus Van Sant's direction. The shots of San Francisco's Castro district in the seventies. look very authentic. I love the candlelit vigil shot at the end of the movie. The performances by everyone in this movie are so good. I love James Franco in his role as Harvey Milk's boyfriend. Josh Brolin plays rival Dan White perfectly. I love Danny Elfman's score and the songs "Everyday People" and "Rock The Boat". Everything about the film is flawless. I can't wait for the DVD.

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"Milk" stars Sean Penn in the title role of Harvey Milk, a closeted gay man who moved from New York to San Francisco in 1972. There he came out of the closet and opened a camera shop in the Castro District, an area experiencing a huge influx of gays and lesbians. He ran for political office unsuccessfully several times on a platform that included workers' issues and education as well as the rights of gays and other minorities, and finally won an election for city supervisor. He led several battles against anti-gay initiatives in California.

Penn presents Milk primarily as outspoken activist, community organizer, and champion of civil rights for gay Americans. Director Van Sant combines actual news and archival footage with footage of his actors to illustrate seamlessly the 1970's era that saw the birth of the gay rights movement in the United States.

"Milk," however, is more than just the tale of a firebrand working up the populace into action. It's a movie about one person spearheading a movement to give voice to a minority that had been forced into hiding. By fighting for the right to live without persecution, the gay community became a visible, political force that voted its mind at the polls. Milk worked to organize and inspire his constituency out of complacency and acceptance of intimidation to active protest and demands. It started in California, but quickly spread across the country.

Mr. Penn does some of his finest work in "Milk." From his slicked down hair to his softly Brooklyn-tinged voice to his self-assured swagger, Penn provides an amazing characterization of a man who, in his 40's, finally found a purpose and the wherewithal to achieve it.

There is a self-deprecating facet to Penn's performance. His Harvey can make jokes at his own expense while taking his cause seriously. Mr. Penn captures the folk-hero quality of Milk while never losing sight of Harvey the man. We see him as a flawed individual, not happy in his previous pursuits and as terrified of discovery as most gay people of the time, but ultimately inspired by injustice to be the voice of protest and change.

The movie shows how that change comes in stages. What starts as periodic clashes with the police leads to grass-roots organization for the purpose of declaring themselves to the larger society and persuade the world that they are entitled to the same rights as anybody else. Milk recruits average folks -mostly gay -who can summon a crowd of 1,000 protesters on a moment's notice or get endorsements from local newspapers.

Among these associates are Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Anne Kronenberg (Alison Pill), and photographer Danny Nicoletta (Lucas Grabeel). We're also introduced to two of Milk's boyfriends, Scott Smith (James Franco) and Jack Lira (Diego Luna).

Scott seems to be the inspiration for Harvey to embark on a more meaningful course. Franco is entirely believable in some intimate scenes with Penn. It's in the early scenes, in his conversations with Scott, that we see Harvey's frustration at approaching his 40th birthday and not really having done anything significant. He's ready for a change. They leave New York together to resettle in San Francisco only to find a not-too-welcoming introduction to the Castro District's businessmen.

Josh Brolin plays Dan White, a fellow city supervisor, who shares an unusual collegial relationship with Milk. Staunchly in favor of preserving "family values" and blocking any pro-gay legislation, White is an enigma. As portrayed in the movie, he doesn't have many friends, appears uncomfortable at the inroads the gay community is making in California, is dissatisfied with his job as city supervisor because of its low pay, and ultimately is jealous of the media attention Milk is getting while he remains anonymous. Brolin continues to associate himself with top-quality motion pictures. Excellent in "No Country for Old Men," "American Gangster," and "W.," he continues his winning streak in "Milk."

Rated R, "Milk" won the Best Actor Academy Award for Penn, and was nominated for Best Picture. The script by Dustin Lance Black moves quickly and presents the events of Milk's life in dramatic, fascinating fashion. The film is extremely timely in light of California's passage of Proposition 8, which bars same-sex marriages. Though Harvey Milk fought vigorously thirty years ago for gays to receive the same rights as all other Americans, it seems the fight isn't over.

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