The Mayor of Castro Street

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2008)

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be voted into major public office in America, and before his assassination in 1978, an influential advocate of the human rights movement. The film opens with Milk talking into a tape recorder, as he fears he may be assassinated the next day. Gus Van Sant uses this as a narrative through out the entire film, taking the audience through Milk's adult years and the battles he faced to public office.
MILK is resurrected for 128 minutes and channeled through Sean Penn. Penn devours every nuance of Harvey Milk and delivers one of his best performances in 10 years. His performance alone is worth the price of admission and I expect a great award season to follow. James Franco, Josh Brolin and Allison Pill shine in their respective rolls.
Gus Van Sant delivers this story with his unique vision, artistic shots and impeccable storytelling. There is one reflection shot in the film that just blew my mind when I realized what I was seeing the scene through. It involves a whistle; I'll leave you to find it. MILK never loses pace; it's truly a beautiful marriage of artistic craft meets history. His blending of the film with live footage transports you back to the 1970's as if you were watching it all unfold again for the first time. Van Sant has given us a moving, powerful and important work. I have a feeling once this film is open up to the mainstream audience, it will spark many debates and hopefully open up dialogue in the Human Rights movement.
Watching MILK did not just make me think of the struggles and sacrifices of the human rights movement. MILK brought up the struggles of many hard fought battles and their leaders. John Adams in securing our freedom, Abraham Lincoln and the emancipation proclamation, Susan B. Anthony campaigning for women's right to vote, Martin Luther King leading the civil rights movement, there are many more who sacrificed so much for their people and nation, I believe Harvey Milk to be in those ranks.
There is a quote from John Adams that I remembered while watching MILK and I believe it sums up the essence of the man; "Oh, posterity. You will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom. I hope that you will make a good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it. " - John Adams This film comes to us at a crucial point in the human rights campaign. MILK needs to be seen, it needs to be discussed, and Harvey Milk needs to be remembered. I hope you go see it!