Saturday, November 29, 2008
Milk! A Man And An Era
Many Americans, even gay Americans, don't know who Harvey Milk was. After seeing 'Milk' on Thanksgiving I suspect that will change very soon, as the movie's high quality and critical accolades will surely result in awards and widespread distribution by Oscar time. And America will learn how this charismatic, lovely, messy, ebullient man pushed gay rights to a new level, in 1970s San Francisco, at the eventual cost of his life. They'll be reminded that it wasn't so long ago that gay people were mistreated, vilified, and ostracized, and that in much of America 'it just wasn't talked about.' They may also be reminded that we gays haven't yet won the battle of full societal enfranchisement and acceptance....
I thought 'Milk' was great. Focusing on Harvey Milk's from 1970-1978, when this gay New York transplant, appalled by police harassment of San Francisco's sizeable gay community, began to fight back. He wound up both launching his own political career and giving a huge boost to the then-embryonic gay rights movement. Gus Van Sandt's moving film so vividly recreates this era, my teen years, that chills ran up my spine watching it. He used actual news footage of both the movement, its enemies led by Anita Bryant, and many journalists and politicians of the day. Young-un's may learn who Walter Cronkite was. The movie is unflinching about sex and love between men and shows us Milk's relationships, the good, the bad, and the sad. But it underscores the courage and pluck of people of the first gay people - in world history - to stand up and demand their rights...Oscar quality acting abounds in this film, led by Sean Penn in the title role. Here's Penn today and Harvey Milk in the 1970s; Diego Luna (of 'Y Tu Mama Tambien,'), who plays Milk's lover Jack Lira, and Lira himself...
Emile Hirsch (left) plays gay activist Cleve Jones (right), while Josh Brolin (left) plays the disturbed Dan White, a failed politician who ulitmately assassinated Milk....
Here's the preview
Drink ticket from Ice Palace 57, circa 1979... this is a gay disco I frequented as a late teen...
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