Milk
1985 saw the release of the 14th official James Bond film, A View to a Kill and marked the swansong of Roger Moore. It was also notable for being the first James Bond film to not premiere in the UK. The film had its charity premiere on May 22nd in San Francisco‘s Palace of Fine Arts. Now, you might be asking what is the relevance of all this, if any? The film premiered in San Francisco as a special thank you to the city for its participation in the making of the blockbuster, but also to gloss over some controversy that threatened the making of the film. The scene that caused the outrage was set in City Hall and involves the film’s villain, Max Zorin (a suitably insane Christopher Walken), shooting an official in his own office. Sound familiar? No? Have I just ruined the movie? Suffice to say, Harvey Milk’s impact was as important then as it is now, almost halting 007 dead in his tracks, and I’m sure he would have been amused by that fact.
Milk follows gay politician Harvey Milk as he records his will and final thoughts on a Dictaphone in the days preceding his assassination. His early efforts as a gay rights activist lead him to a career in politics and after a couple of false starts; he is eventually elected as the first openly gay politician in America. This fact does not go unnoticed by the media and the terrifying singer, Anita Bryant, who fronts an anti-gay organisation and appears solely through (again, terrifying) archive footage. Milk also charts the growth of Harvey’s makeshift family and his relationship with his two lovers, the dependable Scott Smith (James Franco) and the troubled Jack Lira (Diego Luna).
Gus Van Sant‘s Milk is perhaps more mainstream than much of the director’s recent output and remains pretty faithful to the structure of the biopic genre. The film lacks the visual personality of My Own Private Idaho but effectively goes for a more realistic style. The end credits compare the faces of the real characters with their acting counterparts, highlighting Van Sant’s attention to detail and Sean Penn’s uncanny transformation into Harvey Milk.
The Oscar buzz surrounding Penn’s performance is entirely justified. Penn completely becomes Harvey Milk, highlighting his strength and vulnerability with charm and determination. We first meet Milk in his late forties so we are thankfully saved from any clichéd coming out segments. What came before doesn’t seem to matter. Milk’s life seems to be kick-started by the arrival of Scott and James Franco offers understated support and a solid performance as Harvey’s rock and the love of his life. He more than holds his own in the shadow of the magnificent Penn. Diego Luna’s theatrical performance quickly grates but he provides an importance glimpse into Milk’s flaws and insecurities. Josh Brolin’s Dan White is the stand-out performance, presenting us with an enigmatic, pitiable, and pathetic human being. Brolin gives White a nervous, almost manic, energy, constricted by the confines of his reputable position in society. The inevitable denouement still manages to come as an unexpected blow, partly because Brolin makes us want to find the good in the misguided White.
San Francisco’s Castro district is also given the biographical treatment, as we witness it rise from non-descript obscurity into the heart and soul of the world’s gay community. Van Sant could have made more of the transformation of this district but he wisely chooses to focus on the man and the issues at hand. As the population increases and Milk’s popularity soars, the community becomes a family and rallies together to stand up for justice and civil rights. It could be a cheesy concept but it is handled with sensitivity and power. Milk’s entourage allow us to revel in his successes and mourn his defeat, and we never forget that this is history in the making.
Harvey Milk is an advocate not only for gay rights, but basic human rights. His courage and strength of character resonate through every scene without seeming preachy or overly dramatic. It is the human qualities that Penn brings to the role that makes Milk such an accessible and important film. This is not a political soundboard; it is a simple tale of a man who stood up for what he believed in with dignity, passion, and pride. A fine example to us all.
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