A Look At A Man Who Defined An Era

Rating: 10/10 (16 October 2012)

Academy Award winner Sean Penn takes the title role in this biopic tracing the last eight years in the life of Harvey Milk, the ill-fated politician and gay activist whose life changed history, and whose courage still inspires people.Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Dustin Lance Black, Milk stars Sean Penn in the title role.Emile Hirsch,Josh Brolin,Diego Luna and James Franco co-star to play key supporting roles. Attempts to put Milk's life to film followed a 1984 documentary of his life and the aftermath of his assassination, titled The Times of Harvey Milk, which was loosely based upon Randy Shilts's biography, The Mayor of Castro Street.
When Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, he made history for being the first openly gay man in American history to be voted into public office. But the rights of homosexuals weren't Milk's primary concern, as tellingly evidenced by the wide array of political coalitions he formed over the course of his tragically brief career. He fought for everyone from union workers to senior citizens, a true hero of human rights who possessed nothing but compassion for his fellow man. The story begins in New York City, where a 40-year-old Milk ponders what steps he can take to make his life more meaningful. Eventually, Milk makes the decision to relocate to the West Coast, where he and his lover, Scott Smith found a small business in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. Empowered by his love for the Castro neighborhood and the success of his business, Castro Camera, Milk somewhat unexpectedly begins to emerge as an outspoken agent for change. With a growing support system that includes both Scott and a like-minded young activist named Cleve Jones, the charismatic Milk decides to take a fateful leap into politics, eventually developing a reputation as a leader who isn't afraid to follow up his words with actions. In short order, he is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, though this seeming triumph is in fact the catalyst for a tragedy that starts to unfold as Milk does his best to forge a political partnership with Dan White, another newly elected supervisor. Over time it becomes apparent that Milk and White's political agendas are directly at odds, a revelation that puts their personal destinies on a catastrophic collision course.
When a famous person, like the nation's first openly gay male city supervisor, inspires an acclaimed book and Oscar-winning documentary, a biopic can seem superfluous at best. Taking over from Oliver Stone and Bryan Singer,Van Sant directs with such grace and he renders the concern moot.Added to that, Milk is an agitprop fantasy about the selflessness of sainthood. If anybody but Penn was playing the saint, we'd probably feel as if we were being sold a bill of goods. Instead, he just about pulls it off. Such is the treachery of talent.Also,a poignant lesson about the ripples of impact one impassioned individual can have, regardless of sexual orientation, and regardless of the cause.And finally,it provides the the inspiration Milk gave to hundreds, then thousands, then, posthumously, millions which basically imparts a poignant lesson about the ripples of impact one impassioned individual can have, regardless of sexual orientation, and regardless of the cause.Truly,this is a masterpiece that provides passionate look back at the man who helped define a specific era.