masterpiece for eternity

Rating: 10/10 (5 January 2009)

Some years ago I saw the documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk". Gus Van Sant has finally brought the career of San Francisco's first openly gay city supervisor masterfully to the screen as a film. Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk perfectly, showing what led him to become a community organizer and the struggles that he had to overcome even after rising to prominence.
Obviously, part of this movie's significance is because of Prop 8 in California. Anita Bryant's homophobic campaigns - depicted in "Milk" - look almost exactly the same (every time that she spoke, I could hear everyone in the audience groan). More than anything, as the film makes clear, it's important to understand that there have always been impediments to progressive movements, but it is always up to the people to keep trying and never give up hope.
I wholeheartedly recommend this movie. Dan White (Josh Brolin) sure was a nut. Also starring James Franco and Emile Hirsch.