'Milk' Film Review

Spoiler alert: This review talks about the final scene of the film

I barely knew about Harvey Milk before watching the Oscar-winning biopic. What little I did know is confirmed in the film's opening, with archive footage of the tragic announcement from San Francisco City Hall: Milk was America’s first openly gay politician to be elected into a major office, and he was assassinated.

That was November 1978. As Milk (played by Sean Penn) begins to narrate his own death tape to be heard only on his assassination, the film rewinds back to New York City in 1970 where he meets his young lover Scott. Soon the pair move to San Francisco where the quiet, corporate and closeted Milk from NYC is transformed into an open long-haired activist, dubbed ‘The Mayor of Castro Street’. He strengthens the gay community in San Fran, and comes into his own.

The film follows Milk’s three election defeats before victory in 1977 and a seat on the city’s Board of Supervisors. In 1978, the homophobic wave of political action hitting states across America came to California. If passed, Proposition 8 (a state wide referendum) would force openly gay teachers to be sacked.

Milk takes his pride, visibility and charisma across the state to lead the opposition. His hippy look has long been replaced by the same short hair and suit we first met him in. He and his youthful campaign team manipulates crowds and situations to lead to victory. Yet his integrity is never compromised.

‘I have never considered myself a candidate. I have always considered myself part of a movement, part of a candidacy. I considered the movement the candidate. I think that there's a distinction between those who use the movement and those who are part of the movement. I think I was always part of the movement. I wish I had time to explain everything I did. Almost everything was done with an eye on the gay movement.’

Harvey Milk’s tape recording, as narrated by Sean Penn in the film

Milk (Sean Penn) and Mayor Moscone (Victor Garber)

Milk was an activist, not a politician as his own words put it so beautifully. This film is all drama and so, going against my usual movie choices, I found it hard to enjoy or engage at first. But not every film is made to enjoy. It crescendos to an uplift of progress, of equality coming, of Milk’s personal life looking less tragic.

And then he was assassinated, alongside Mayor Moscone on 27th November 1978. That evening, over 25,000 people headed to City Hall in a silent candlelight vigil. It’s beautifully recreated in the film by making the most of archive footage and it made me cry.

The day before I watched Milk, I was standing in Soho next to my brother and 7000 other people to mourn the 49 shot dead in Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. As I first began to write this review, the death of Jo Cox MP was announced.

The community always comes together. The community never lets a death just be a death. The community loves.

Before Pride in London on Saturday 25th June, I'm watching films focusing on LGBT issues.