Movie Review - “Milk”
Harvey Milk was just another closeted gay man in NewYork City until he turned forty years old. During the day, he attended his job at an insurance company, pretending to be the average heterosexual. At night, Milk met other gay men surreptitiously, in order to avoid being beaten by the police. This way of life changed upon a chance meeting with his future boyfriend, Scott Smith.
After coupling, Milk and Smith moved to the Castro district in San Francisco, which was the center for gay activity in the city. Once there, Milk opened a camera shop and immediately received disdain from the straight, neighborhood business owners. Out of this opposition, Harvey Milk, the community organizer, was born. In response to the endemic homophobia, Milk convinced the local, gay residents to only patronize businesses that were friendly to the gay community. During this time, Milk became the de facto leader of “The Castro,” which simultaneously was becoming a gay mecca for the country.
Milk, however, wanted more for the gay community in San Francisco and around the country. Harvey Milk wanted to be the first openly gay elected official. Following a number of unsuccessful campaigns, he finally achieved the position of city supervisor. Tragically, Milk’s meteoric rise into the political stratosphere ended just as rapidly with his assassination.
Competently directed, Gus Van Sant (“My Own Private Idaho,” “Good Will Hunting”) presents “Milk” without dramatic flair. Van Sant thoroughly explores Harvey Milk as the astute community organizer and inspiring, local politician, rather than dissecting the personality. The film focuses on Milk’s inspiring rhetoric and unwavering commitment to his cause.
Nevertheless, it is difficult to become emotionally invested in “Milk.” First, the audience walks into the theatre knowing the film’s sad conclusion. Additionally, Van Sant never allows the audience to like Harvey Milk. Although we are insiders to the peaks and valleys of his career, little is done to reveal Milk’s emotional and psychological content. Finally, at the climax of his career, Milk is shown as an astute and calloused politician, likened by the city’s mayor to Boss Tweed. As a result, the film retains a more documentary style about the gay rights movement in San Francisco and its leader.
The greatest asset of the film is Sean Penn. Penn skillfully captures Milk’s charismatic qualities. However, aside from just adeptly mimicking Milk’s odd mannerisms and disarming smile, Penn immerses himself in the character. Often, it is difficult for an actor with such a strong personality to shed it entirely in order to play another person. Nonetheless, Penn achieves this feat for the second time in his career, after portraying Matthew Poncelet in “Dead Man Walking.” Both Penn’s performance and the compelling, historical story lift “Milk” beyond potential mediocrity.
Interestingly, Harvey Milk’s history is similar to our president elect’s. Both were community organizers and highly persuasive, local politicians. Furthermore, as with Mr. Obama, Milk’s message was one of “hope.” Milk constantly espoused the sentiment in his speeches. Finally, the election of each candidate signified a turning point in American history.
Another major aspect of the film is Milk’s fight against the “Briggs Initiative;” otherwise known as “Proposition 6.” This proposition sought to ban gay and lesbian teachers from California’s public schools. Harvey Milk successfully fought this initiative, making this battle the keystone of his career.
The victory chronicled in “Milk” is uplifting and poignant. With the recent passage of Proposition 8 in California, it is painfully evident that intolerance remains rampant, even in one of America’s most progressive states. Most importantly, Proposition 8 represents a tremendous setback for not only the gay and lesbian community but for those of us who actually value basic human rights. Unfortunately, there was no main figure, like Harvey Milk, who spearheaded the fight against the proposition. Perhaps, that is why the fight against the proposition failed.
For this reason, “Milk” delivers an important reminder. Politicians use an issue to gain office, whereas political figures utilize a cause to galvanize the public to effect change. Harvey Milk was one of those rare people who understood the difference.
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