Extraordinary

Rating: 10/10 (5 December 2008)

My knowledge of Harvey Milk's story prior to walking into Gus Van Sant's extraordinary drama of the life and times of the openly gay politician was vague at best. I knew he was the first elected municipal leader to be openly gay in US history and I knew he was assassinated. However, as his story unfolded, I learned just how important this man is to American history and just how much he truly was the Martin Luther King of the Gay Rights Civil movement by how much he pushed it forward by leaps and bounds.
Part of me wishes this film had been released prior to the US elections as it could have had a ripple effect and helped prevent the human rights disaster that is California's Proposition 8 from ever passing. However, I believe it could still have a huge hand in changing the ideals and the thoughts of many of the ignorant masses if they actually just gave two hours of their life to watch what this man did for the people, the city of San Francisco, the state of California, if not the nation.
Sean Penn in the lead role is undeniably one of the strongest performances, if not the strongest performance, of the year, if not his career. The gage of true talent is when an actor who has so much history and is so well known actually makes you forget you are watching them. Penn became Milk in all his homosexual glory. As his lover of many years, James Franco, best known as a pseudo teen heartthrob, proves he may have what it takes for longevity giving a strong supporting performance that also has been causing whispers of Oscar nomination. Admittedly, the first time you see these two manly-men-like actors kiss, it may cause you to gigglebut it's because they jump into it before you've had a chance to even settle into your seat. But soon, you forget who you're watching and the two become nothing but their characters and you feel a natural love between the two like any other on-screen couple.
Emile Hirsch, highly praised for last year's Into the Wild, is almost unrecognizable as one of Milk's devout supporters, Cleve Jones, and could be invited to Oscar night as well. Even Josh Brolin's turn as obviously-closeted Dan White, one of San Francisco's other elected reps who went on to assassinate Milk and mayor George Moscone, offered up an incredibly strong, subtle performance.
No doubt, this film could potentially get a lot of attention from the Academy if the film is not deemed "to gay" by its members. Brokeback Mountain may have gotten a lot of attention, but its heterosexual elements may have helped that. There is nothing heterosexual about Milk, the man and the film. This may be the gayest major-studio film ever made which may hurt or harm its chances come Oscar night.
We can only hope this film gets the credit it deserves across the board, especially for Sean Penn. To paraphrase Alan Ball, Oscar-winning writer of American Beauty and creator and Executive Producer of HBO's "Six Feet Under," a straight actor taking on a gay role is no longer an act of bravery, however a straight actor refusing to play gay is an act of cowardice. Sean Penn may not have been brave by taking on the role of Harvey Milk, but his portrayal of this man made Milk's monumental bravery crystal clear. Harvey Milk is a hero.