In early 2007, there were two Harvey Milk bio-pics in development. One was titled The Mayor of Castro Street with Bryan Singer attached to direct. The other was simply titled Milk, with Gus Van Sant at the helm. With the threat of a writers’ strike looming, both projects took a ‘now or never’ approach and were moving forward at full speed. When the strike hit in early November, only Milk had a completed screenplay. THANK GOD!
Now don’t get me wrong. Bryan Singer is a very talented filmmaker and I am really looking forward to Valkyrie. It’s just that I cannot possibly conceive of ANYONE making a better Harvey Milk film than the one currently in theaters.
On a narrative level Milk is your average bio-pic. Dustin Lance Black’s screenplay hits all the standard sign posts (framing device, heavy foreshadowing, touching ending, etc.) but on a stylistic level this film is far from standard. Techniques commonly used to generate either empty excitement (Guy Ritchie) or intellectual alienation (Jean-Luc Godard), are here employed to bring the audience further into the narrative.
This film allows you inside the moments that formed and defined Harvey Milk. The moments no documentary crew could ever conceive of capturing. You witness the passion and tenderness of his courtship with Scott. You feel his anguish over another lover's sudden departure. You even get to be there for Harvey’s most private moment - his last breath. The sense of intimacy is awesome.
Gus Van Sant and his team deserve every bit of praise coming their way. They did the impossible. They were able to make a film that is both conventional and experimental, educational yet entertaining. And most miraculously, they made a film about a tragedy that still gives you hope. And in times like these, we all need a little hope.
Please go see this film.
…just not at a Cinemark© theater ( http://nomilkforcinemark.com/ )
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