Text:  Richard James Smith

“If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door”, Harvey Milk.

Harvey Milk became the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the USA. His rise to the political arena garnered many casualties including lovers, friends, colleagues and, most tragically, the murder of Harvey Milk himself – a pioneer in the fight for gay rights in the US.

Director Gus Van Sant brings Harvey Milk’s story to the big screen with the help of the Dustin Lance Black’s screenplay and an outstanding performance by Sean Penn as the lead. The film focuses on Harvey’s life from leaving the corporate world of banking in New York and embracing the era of the 70’s and a pride in un-closeting his homosexuality as he moves to San Francisco with hot young boyfriend Scott Smith, played by James Franco (recently noted for his comedic performance in The Pineapple Express).

Attention to detail throughout from the cinematography and scenery to costume and props really thrusts the viewer in to the whole ambience of 70’s America when moustaches were en vogue (a trend that I truly hope never shows its furry head again anytime soon!), hippies were abundant and the summers of free love took the country to psychedelic places. Gus Van Sant’s signature use of archive footage has never needed more credence than in this movie – its grainy visuals of the actual events and snapshots iconic of the era have been edited into the “real life” footage of the movie and give a true feeling of the passions of the times.

As we follow Harvey Milk’s first three attempts to run for office we are witness to the effects of his determination on his personal life with Scott leaving him and  a later partner committing suicide. To enter the political arena Harvey Milk ditches his hippie long hair and jeans, conforms to a more conservative suit and succeeds on his fourth attempt to be elected to the San Francisco Board of Directors becoming the first openly gay person elected to major public office in America.

Dan White (Josh Brolin), who ultimately murders both the Mayor Moscone and Harvey at the end of the movie, is wonderfully underplayed and you are never made to feel any hatred towards this character as you are led to believe that he is a person uncomfortable in his own skin. Dan White initially befriends Harvey with the impression of working together and supporting each others’ political agendas but he considers Harvey’s voting against one of his motions as a bitter betrayal. Harvey’s building success and support only adds salt to Dan’s wounds but the ultimate cancellation of his reinstatement to the Board of Supervisors leads to Harvey and Mayor Moscone’s death.

There’s an appropriately documentary feel to the movie since it does reenact the events of Harvey’s life and political agenda but a few areas are left to a slightly questionable angle, namely in the characters of Dan White and Jack Lira (the Hispanic boyfriend of Harvey). You are given a strong impression that Dan White is a tortured soul struggling with homosexual tendencies. And poor Jack is portrayed as a dumb, ignorant and needy Hispanic in an almost stereotypical way. What real truth there is in the depiction of these two characters may be a little biased.

Ultimately MILK is an honourable portrayal of a man’s determination to fight for the rights of the gay community and dutifully reminds us how far we have come from those times. Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn are the obvious outstanding performers in this beautifully shot film.