Harvey Milk was a relatively conservative New York businessman living an active but mostly closeted gay life from the late 1950s through most of the 1960s. But his politics began to become more radical about the time he turned 40 and moved to San Francisco in the early 1970s with his lover Scott Smith (superlatively well played by James Franco). It’s hard to imagine now, but San Francisco was not always paradise for gays – the largely Irish Catholic police force had repeatedly harassed and busted the patrons of gay bars for decades. Milk opened a camera store in a neighborhood then known as Eureka Valley, and he was galvanized by the resentment the locals expressed toward the increasing numbers of gays moving in to what came to be called The Castro. Soon he was running for political office.
The bulk of the movie follows Harvey’s series of losing, but ever closer, runs for office, culminating in his election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. This may not sound like an electrifying plot, but the storytelling and the performances are both funny and exciting. As Harvey and his allies meet their nemeses, the movie becomes more political and less personal (and it’s possible that some viewers will experience this as a letdown in sheer movie terms).
These nemeses are, on the national level, Anita Bryant (shown only in actual 1970s footage, still startling and hilarious and infuriating), who leads a religious campaign against gay rights laws; on the state level, California State Senator John Briggs (well played by Denis O’Hare), who pushes a California ballot initiative banning gay teachers; and, locally and most crucially, Harvey Milk’s fellow freshman City Supervisor, Dan White, a product of the conservative Eureka Valley community that resents the ever more numerous and vocal Castro gay groups.
Josh Brolin is Dan White, and his performance gives the second half of the movie a scary, smoldering intensity. Although he becomes the villain of the piece, Brolin’s White is never a caricature, and never completely unsympathetic. He seems like a lost soul – but one poised on the precipice of frightening violence. The conflict between Milk and White plays out with the force and inevitability of grand tragedy (although the post-modernists Van Sant and Black inevitably undercut this with flashes of wit and dark humor).
Article comments
1 - Arlo J. Wiley
An excellent review of an excellent film.
I just saw Milk this morning, and was bowled over by it. Terrific on pretty much every level.
2 - handyguy
I neglected to mention some of the very fine contributions to the film's success: the cinematography by Harris Savides [who also shot Zodiac and Elephant], the music by Danny Elfman, and the performance by the always deft Emile Hirsch as longtime Milk associate Cleve Jones.
3 - Arlo J. Wiley
I was really surprised to learn that Danny Elfman was behind the score. Most of his scores usually feel descended from his Batman score, but this one was totally different than anything else I'd ever heard by him. Really impressive work.
4 - handyguy
Elfman has worked with Van Sant more often than with any other director besides Tim Burton and Sam Raimi: To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Psycho. He also did A Simple Plan and A Civil Action, so it's not all bombast. I think the score for Sleepy Hollow is very beautiful as well.
5 - Arlo J. Wiley
I honestly didn't know that Elfman had worked with Van Sant so many times.
And you're right, he did do the score for A Simple Plan, which is one of my favorite films.
6 - Thomas Vlacich
I recently saw Milk. I throughly enjoyed the movie.I was expecting to see the young boy in the wheelchair from Minnesota in the candlelight procession. I thought it would have added a tremendous emotional impact at that point in the movie. great film.