Adding a more extended review, but it has spoilers.
I just watched Milk last night, starring Sean Penn. Expect to see this movie come up again when they do the Oscars - I would be utterly shocked if Sean Penn doesn't win Best Actor. It was superb.
The movie is about Harvey Milk, a gay man who moves to San Francisco and, displeased with the way in which homosexuals and independent businessmen are treated, runs several times for political office, slowly consolidating a power base around himself to rival that of the traditional Democratic and Republican machines. Milk was a passionate man who's desire for equality was infectious to those around him.
Eventually, Harvey Milk becomes a Supervisor for the City of San Francisco, at the same time a former gubernatorial candidate is launching an initiative called "Proposition 6". Prop 6 would have altered the California constitution so that the various school boards are required to summarily fire not only homosexual teachers and other employees but any school board employees who support gay rights.
Milk takes a state-wide leadership in the issue, encouraging the many closeted homosexuals of San Francisco, California, and the United States to come out, knowing the statistics show that if people know someone who's gay they vote 2-1 against Prop 6. He doesn't expect to win, but he does hope to gather a large political organization behind him. This he does, convincing such influential figures as Mayor George Moscone, Democratic Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, and former Governor Ronald Reagan to speak out against Prop 6. On election day, the proposition is defeated, and the opponents of gay rights are delivered their first blow in the United States.
Shortly thereafter, Harvey Milk and George Moscone are assassinated by City Supervisor Dan White, a former Vietnam War veteran and decorated firefighter and police officer. White apparently felt scorned by Milk's refusal to support one of his initiatives, and with Milk becoming the head of a new, powerful San Francisco political machine, chose to resign. He recanted this resignation but the Mayor refused; he then shot the Mayor and later killed Milk as well.
Over 30,000 people held an unplanned candlelit vigil for Harvey Milk. White was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and served five years for his double murders. The jury was made entirely of straight, white Catholics (ethnic minorities and homosexuals were summarily excused from jury duty in the case) and the prosecutor had publicly sympathized with White before the trial. The defense claimed that it was White's constant diet of junk food (the Twinkies Defense) that caused him to have a chemical imbalance.
The verdict released a vicious riot in San Francisco, the largest and most violent gay rights riot in the United States to date. However, in a sign of changing times, the police made not one arrest; one protester said "Just tell them we ate too many Twinkies."
The upper class members of Harvey Milk's political machine went on to become major civil rights leaders and AIDS activists, and he is generally considered one of the more influential figures in California politics of the 20th century.
The movie had a great supporting cast. Josh Brolin (W., No Country For Old Men) played Supervisor Dan White, and gave an amazing performance of a man who's life was slowly falling apart, and who focussed his rage on the one person who was so happily different to him. James Franco (Flyboys, Pineapple Express) portrayed Scott Smith, one of Milk's boyfriends who came with him to San Francisco, and became a major AIDS activist before dying of the disease. Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer, Lords of Dogtown) played Cleve Jones, who became the director of Milk's political machine and went on to be a large AIDS and gay rights activist. All three of these supporting actors gave superb, over the top performances.
Milk is an inspiring story and a sad tale of martyrdom. The man Harvey Milk knew that homophobic violence was a fact of life, and he was prepared that his life may end by assassination. One of his more famous quotes: "If a bullet should enter my brain, let the bullet destroy every closet door."
The movie is about Harvey Milk, a gay man who moves to San Francisco and, displeased with the way in which homosexuals and independent businessmen are treated, runs several times for political office, slowly consolidating a power base around himself to rival that of the traditional Democratic and Republican machines. Milk was a passionate man who's desire for equality was infectious to those around him.
Eventually, Harvey Milk becomes a Supervisor for the City of San Francisco, at the same time a former gubernatorial candidate is launching an initiative called "Proposition 6". Prop 6 would have altered the California constitution so that the various school boards are required to summarily fire not only homosexual teachers and other employees but any school board employees who support gay rights.
Milk takes a state-wide leadership in the issue, encouraging the many closeted homosexuals of San Francisco, California, and the United States to come out, knowing the statistics show that if people know someone who's gay they vote 2-1 against Prop 6. He doesn't expect to win, but he does hope to gather a large political organization behind him. This he does, convincing such influential figures as Mayor George Moscone, Democratic Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter, and former Governor Ronald Reagan to speak out against Prop 6. On election day, the proposition is defeated, and the opponents of gay rights are delivered their first blow in the United States.
Shortly thereafter, Harvey Milk and George Moscone are assassinated by City Supervisor Dan White, a former Vietnam War veteran and decorated firefighter and police officer. White apparently felt scorned by Milk's refusal to support one of his initiatives, and with Milk becoming the head of a new, powerful San Francisco political machine, chose to resign. He recanted this resignation but the Mayor refused; he then shot the Mayor and later killed Milk as well.
Over 30,000 people held an unplanned candlelit vigil for Harvey Milk. White was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and served five years for his double murders. The jury was made entirely of straight, white Catholics (ethnic minorities and homosexuals were summarily excused from jury duty in the case) and the prosecutor had publicly sympathized with White before the trial. The defense claimed that it was White's constant diet of junk food (the Twinkies Defense) that caused him to have a chemical imbalance.
The verdict released a vicious riot in San Francisco, the largest and most violent gay rights riot in the United States to date. However, in a sign of changing times, the police made not one arrest; one protester said "Just tell them we ate too many Twinkies."
The upper class members of Harvey Milk's political machine went on to become major civil rights leaders and AIDS activists, and he is generally considered one of the more influential figures in California politics of the 20th century.
The movie had a great supporting cast. Josh Brolin (W., No Country For Old Men) played Supervisor Dan White, and gave an amazing performance of a man who's life was slowly falling apart, and who focussed his rage on the one person who was so happily different to him. James Franco (Flyboys, Pineapple Express) portrayed Scott Smith, one of Milk's boyfriends who came with him to San Francisco, and became a major AIDS activist before dying of the disease. Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer, Lords of Dogtown) played Cleve Jones, who became the director of Milk's political machine and went on to be a large AIDS and gay rights activist. All three of these supporting actors gave superb, over the top performances.
Milk is an inspiring story and a sad tale of martyrdom. The man Harvey Milk knew that homophobic violence was a fact of life, and he was prepared that his life may end by assassination. One of his more famous quotes: "If a bullet should enter my brain, let the bullet destroy every closet door."
