Penn Shines as Harvey Milk

Sean Penn has come a long way since “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” Arguably, his body of work thus far is the most diverse and elegant of any American actor of his generation. In his latest, “Milk,” he plays the role of Harvey Milk, insurance man turned gay rights activist and politician. Once again, Mr. Penn brought his “A” game.

Bio-pics by their nature tend to make over history for the sake of a more Hollywood story. Director Gus Van Sant and writer Dustin Lance Black avoided this pitfall, and as a result, have crafted a film that isn't quite a documentary, but does have sufficient grounding in fact to teach a history lesson for those in need of such. In particular, he splices original footage with new film that comes off almost seamlessly.

The rise of the gay movement in San Francisco, which ultimately led to Mr. Milk being elected a City Supervisor (San Franciscan for councilman or alderman), is shown here as a story of one man stepping forward to lead a community without a leader. San Francisco 1978 and the US in 2008 are miles apart, and yet, the homophobia and denial of rights then persist today.

The central political fight for Mr. Milk one elected is to defeat Proposition 6, an initiative that would have made it legal for Californian school boards to fire gay teachers and their supporters. Losing in the polls, Mr. Milk and his inner cabinet realize that they must get their people of come out of the closet. It is easy to demonize a group when that group is amorphous and anonymous. It is much harder to demonize a group when the groups is composed of family and friends. In the end, Proposition 6 lost. Sadly, California chose to pass Proposition 8 last month, which took away the right of same sex couples to marry.

While film is largely about Harvey Milk, and therefore, largely about Sean Penn's performance, other actors in the piece lend support with sterling performances. Josh Brolin as Dan White (the troubled politician who killed Mayor Moscone and Mr. Milk) put in another performance that shows he has the talent to be a great actor rather than just a movie star. Emile Hirsch, who plays Cleve Jones, doesn't get a single thing wrong in his work here. James Franco as Mr. Milk's lover Scott Smith suffers magically as a man who becomes unwilling to share his lover with the electorate and leaves.

What is significant about the film is not that it is a story about the gay rights movement, although it is, but that it has captured the very American idea of the common man as a leader. Mr. Milk became the political crusader that he was not because he was born to it or because he wanted power for its own sake but rather because he and people like him needed to act to protect themselves. This is a lesson that applies to every group that has ever been persecuted simply for being. Mr. Milk was just one of many who said “No more.” From that, all else followed. Mr. Penn captured that, and from there, it could well be Oscar time.

© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

Kensington Review Home