Milk Review (2009)

Milk, one of the latest in a long line of films tipped to win big at the Oscars come February, stars Sean Penn as the charismatic San Francisco-based political activist who was assassinated by one of his former colleagues and then-rival in 1978.

The film intersperses archive footage of the area in the 1970s, together with a realistic modern-day recreation of said locations. Along with these shots, the audience is told the story of Harvey Milk, his political beliefs (not prevalent until later on in the film), his rather wild love life and how he came to be so passionate about the issues he risked his life for.

Sean Penn is fantastic as Milk, as is James Franco as a humble Scott Smith, Milk's first and only true lover. Whilst i will openly admit that i felt some of the love scenes in the film were frankly unneeded and often exposed Milk as an efeminite character when i felt the opposite should have been portrayed, it can be said that his love for those around him only helped build the image of a care-free, albeit openly caring person.

As the film progresses, outside interference from various political parties threatens the gay community in the Castro district of San Francisco where Milk lives and works and an openly gay establishment has been accepted. This leads Milk to campaigning for the local governmental position and in the middle third of the film, we see his various failed attempts to gain a place in office, though each time the number of votes increases, clearly showing that more and more people are coming round to his ideas and are accepting his values and beliefs.

The final third of the film tells of how his nearest rival, Dan White, a family man whose own campaigns are somewhat overshadowed by Milk's building success, attempts to gain voters. The two build a partnership which both figures believe will strengthen their own campaigns though this relationship reaches a sour point when White, drunk, comes onto Milk and reveals his weakness for he knows he has lost the seat in the office to Milk and realises he needs to do something drastic.

Alas, the finale of the film is of Dan White killing the town's mayor and also Milk in a rather devastating scene which truly hits home. The kind nature of Milk is built-up throughout the entire film. His ability to open up his home (quite literally) to those he calls his friends as well as those without a home to call their own is marvelous, and something which makes the final scenes that much more heartwarming. As Milk, collapses to the floor as bullet after bullet fires into his body, his last glances are towards the local opera house where he spends one night earlier in the film, enjoying his first love, classical music.

The aftermath of his death is fantastically portrayed by director Gus Van Sant, who shows the thousands of loyal activists who once gave their lives to Milk, walking the streets holding candles in memory of the great man. Admittedly, i found this scene particularly poignant, realising just how widespread his support was, and as much as i've admired Sean Penn for his previous cinema offerings, i felt that Milk is his greatest work.

9/10