Milk (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
X Good
O OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / January 31, 2009

It is remarkable how the cinema can empower us to see through another person’s eyes — not merely a physical point of view — but an ideological perspective that may altogether differ from our own beliefs. Film can so effectively draw us into a character’s story, we begin to see where he or she is coming from. Some motion pictures wield the power to exploit our common ground of humanity. Gus Van Sant’s “Milk” has this ability.

Sean Penn seems to have become Harvey Milk — the Martin Luther King Jr. of the Gay Rights Movement. At the risk of redundancy, and for clarity’s sake, King is to the Civil Rights Movement what Milk is to the Gay Rights Movement, according to the film’s portrayal of him. (Perhaps there have been other significant figures in gay rights history, but I admit my ignorance of the subject.)

“Milk” is set in the 1970s. It begins with black-and-white images that inform us of the violent clashing between homosexuals and the police. Next we see Harvey Milk, accomplished politician and gay activist, sitting at a table, speaking into a tape recorder. He is keenly aware that his crusade could have him killed, so Milk is telling his tale, leaving his testament.

The film is structured with flashbacks that continue to intercut, from time to time, with Penn’s narration. The flashbacks show us Milk’s life beginning on his 40th birthday, when he meets the love of his life, Scott Smith (James Franco). We see some of the difficult circumstances that gay men face, and these persuade him to pursue a political career, where, in hoping to make a difference, Milk incites a whole revolution. And we follow the resultant turmoil, which is punctuated with victories and defeats.

At its core, “Milk” is more than a film about a gay rights activist — more than historical highlights of a political movement — it’s a bold statement that proclaims that living a homosexual lifestyle (or simply being homosexual) is a basic human right, and perfectly normal. Of course, with this agenda, “Milk” favors the cause of homosexuals and demonizes traditional conservatives. OK, maybe I shouldn’t go so far as to say it “demonizes” conservatives, but the film’s depiction of Milk’s opponents paints them as not much more than small-minded bigots. (Naturally, as a religious, traditional conservative myself, I don’t perceive myself to be a small-minded bigot, but I’m sure there are those who would disagree, especially upon reading the rest of this review.)

Though it is a well made, entertaining drama, “Milk” probably isn’t a film for everyone (but I bet those same people mentioned above would argue that it should be). In fact, when I watched “Milk,” there was only a heterosexual couple with me in the theater. But after about 10 minutes into the film, they left. I don’t know why, but perhaps it was one of the passionate kissing scenes between Sean Penn and James Franco that drove them away.

In any case, if you have an aversion to seeing gay men being affectionate, you’ll probably want to skip this movie. (It’s not my cup of tea, either, but my film criticism subjects me to a number of images I don’t particularly enjoy watching, or personally approve of.)

And for those of you who object to such depictions of homosexuality in the mainstream cinema, you should be aware that Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) and “Milk” have paved the way for many more films of this nature. Just the other day, my mom called and told me about “Prayers for Bobby,” a made-for-TV movie about a kid whose parents’ religious intolerance of his homosexuality leads him to suicide.

The times, they are a changin’, and I bet Harvey Milk would be pleased.

Directed by Gus Van Sant
Sean Penn / Emile Hirsch / Josh Brolin
Biography / Drama 128 min.
MPAA: R (for language, some sexual content and brief violence)

U.S. Release Date: November 26, 2008
Copyright 2008: 334