"My name is Harvey milk and I am here to recruit you!" While almost the tagline of the film itself this is thankfully the message Milk steers clearest from. By sticking firmly to the roots of the biopic it titles (that of Harvey Milk, and his rise to become the first openly gay man to be elected into office and the anti-gay laws that are threatening America at the time) than the piece of propaganda it so easily could have become the film allows itself to gently work its way into the viewer. So that even the most ardent of sceptic can't help but feel as enamoured as he is embittered by the film's conclusion.
As a character piece Milk would be nothing without its principle star and just like Mickey Rourke embraced the Ram and Frank Langella sunk into Nixon, Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk with an identical kind of synchronisation. The role may have been harder to pull off than the others but Penn still manages a perfect nuance. All the mannerisms and traits are present but it is the warmth and energy that exudes from Penn that is most wonderful. Rarely has a film about so much oppression felt so optimistic and even rarer still is it to witness a performance so full of life, when faced with odds so determined to eradicate it.
This charm and boldness is complemented (but by no means watered down) by some fantastic supporting roles. The three most central supporters; James Franco, Diego Luna and Emile Hirsch's characters all bring a wonderfully different set of behaviours to the political operation, aptly and deftly showing the pressures, enthusiasm and heart braking troubles that such a dedicated agenda can bring. Alison Pill's character, the lesbian activist brought in to help organisation, is just as well placed but her separation from the others is due to her being the focal part of Milk's most enduring moment. On her arrival to a slightly sagging political operation she is greeted by a stream of discomfort from all those at work, to which she quickly jumps on, asking wryly "are you all afraid of girls?" Wonderfully enough, you can tell pretty much immediately that answer to this question is actually yes.
But with this joviality comes the malice from which it stormed, and in this respect where Milk was brash and open in its heroes, it's dark and subtle with its villains. Most films use real footage sporadically and gracelessly. With Milk however, the transition between the two is so seamless and natural that it's hard to think of a film that does it better. No where else is this more evident than in its use of Anita Bryant, the angelic, picket fences spokeswoman, whose hate-hidden behind-crucifix attitude is only shown through her real life television appearances. Creating a permanent image of reality when faced with the almost unbelievable arguments put forward by such persons. The star of this however remains Josh Brolin's seething portrayal of Dan White, the official up against Harvey Milk for the latter half of the film. It actually took me a second viewing to appreciate Brolin's performance; so understated is his portrayal that it's easy to miss it when played opposite Penn's bravado. But it's so well perfected (literally every delivery has a little falter of discomfort, a slight bite of resentment) that it can't help but feel like the perfect support role to Penn.
As biopics go Milk is a somewhat flawed reality. While Penn's performance is exquisite it remains a glorifying portrayal of a man notable for his polygamy and stubbornness. But as a film it oddly transcends that singular vision of just the story of 'one man'. Milk is a movement piece, displaying a rare warmth not just for those cast but to those who are suffering from the same kind of alienation milk exhibits, but never overplays. As said before it is remarkable how Milk never seems to fall into the caption of being a piece of propaganda. It has that honesty, that sense of good will to celebrate a man's accomplishments for the simple need of celebration. But that is not what I found most remarkable about Milk. What I found most remarkable was how I had never managed to hear Harvey Milk's name until now. How, when Martin Luther King's name is used so frequently in American civil rights is it that this man's name is never even uttered in the same breath? We all need symbols of hope, and when one is as exuberant and joyful as this one; you can't help but feel recruited.
