Milk :: Wessex Scene Online

Milk

Sean Penn's Oscar Winning Role

9th March 2009
Rosalind Jade Morris

About this film

Title	Milk (2008/I)
Director	Gus Van Sant
Release Date	23 January 2009
Certificate
Genres	Biography, Drama
Our Rating	4.0/5.0
Shown at Union Films Tuesday 21st April 2009 7:00pm

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Mar 09 - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
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Jan 09 - Film 2008 - The Year In Review
Nov 06 - All the King's Men
Nov 06 - The Departed

Milk Trailer

Like being caught in a time capsule, Gus van Sant’s Milk transports you back to the seventies, depicting the struggle and whirlwind career of gay activist Harvey Milk.

Van Sant’s grainy yet alluring filming technique draws you into a dark period, when urban America’s police state struck fear into the lives of many gay communities. Milk is in no way an adaptation, it is true to the point and demonstrates an inspirational political struggle against the injustices of the state. Something which should not only intrigue those interested in the gay activist movement, but anyone who feels strongly against prejudice’s and inequality.

Van Sant keeps you glued and captivated to the film, as he slices in real footage of 1970s San Francisco. Harvey Milk played by the wiry Sean Penn, a man who you would assume never cracks a smile. Who looks as though he carries the woes of the world on his face, has transformed himself into this ever so smiley and charismatic Harvey Milk. Penn’s sensational performance by no way overshadows the rest of the cast, Van Sant has obviously thought long and hard about his casting, each actor seems as though they were born for the role. As they tackle realistic moments of intimacy in such a natural way, you can only form strong relations, and feel the characters heartache and passion for gay rights, during their tiresome struggle for acceptance.

The film begins with narration given by Milk onto his Dictaphone, a feature which is common throughout the film. It acts to illuminate his bravery and highlight the danger of his position. It starts with Milk’s 40th birthday a pivotal moment as he reflects upon his life and sees no notable achievements. After meeting his new lover Scott Smith played by the striking James Franco, he moves to San Francisco where this motivating story truly begins. The couple establish a small camera shop in a blue-collar Irish neighborhood and decide to in no way hide their sexuality. Eventually, word spreads and the camera shop becomes the local headquarters for Milk’s gay rights campaign. A decade of disgust with the treatment of the gay community, turns Milk from a humble shop owner to a political activist. As he works his way up the local government food chain he gets closer to his goal of equal civil rights. With slices of authentic footage from the marches and protests, there was only one feeling I had towards the struggle, where is the justice? It ignited passion within the depths of my heart, as I felt the characters pain and sympathized with their anger. It led me to reflect upon the injustices in our world today, it was as though I was inspired by the movement and film to become more pro active and really take an interest in how prejudices and ignorance can cause so much pain in the world.

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to become elected into office in America. The film depicts his greatest strife, to stop Proposition 6, which would strip gay and lesbian teachers of their job and rights. His heroic battle against the proposition, and the inequalities of the system leads to his assassination and martyrdom. Which leads me to account one line which stands out as bold as brass from all the rest in this inspirational film, and that is ‘Harvey Milk vs. The Machine‘ which side will you chose?