The Milk of Human Kindness (Milk (DVD))

Member Name: Prof3181

Product:	Milk (DVD)
Date:	24/06/09 (7 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sean Penn's brilliant performance

Disadvantages: Realising not nearly enough has changed for the LGBT community since Milk's era

Film only - contains spoilers

Milk is a moving biography of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the US. The film charts his move from New York to San Francisco, the prejudice he encountered even in one of the most tolerant and gay-friendly cities in the world, persistence in the face of several failures in local elections for city supervisor, eventual election to the role and tragic demise when one of his colleges, Dan White, shot both Harvey Milk and Mayor George Muscone.
Sean Penn (Milk) is absolutely brilliant in the title role and perhaps it is the way he captures the charisma, drive and energy that the real Harvey Milk must have possessed is one of the things that makes this film uplifting despite the often very grim subject matter. It's also interesting to note that the gay characters in the film are not immune to prejudice themselves - even the owners of leading gay publication the Advocate are reluctant to back Milk's campaign and initial the gay men supporting Harvey Milk are a little suspicious of lesbian campaign manager Anne Kronenberg. I think it's also terrifying to witness the discrimination and physical and verbal abuse openly gay men often faced and to consider that not nearly enough progress has been made in the intervening 30 years to give equal rights to the LGBT community.

Summary: Moving biography of the political career of America's first openly gay public offical