Milk presentation part 1

     Milk is a biography(the accounting of one's life, or a section of one's life)/drama(passionate in depth expression of emotion through visual art) about the rise, struggle, and assassination, and his effect on the people of the United States, mainly the city of San Francisco, of which he was the City Supervisor at the time of his tragic death.
     Gus Van Sant, the director, has mad other films which I feel relate very will in the theme and messages that this film sends. A few examples of other movies made by this director that are similar in theme are Good Will Hunting,and Finding Forester. In all three films, the common theme of a great person rising from a troubled life of prejudice and pain to becoming great in their eyes as well as others as they meet their true potential is dramatically expressed through the showing and emotionally incorporating the hardships that many people go through every day, without anyone recognizing their true potential.

Milk= A gay rights activist runs for City Supervisor in San Francisco in hopes of helping to unite the community while attempting to focus the people on the true issues that threatening the city. While ignoring and fighting off numerous attacks on his campaign and even on his life as he attempts to become the first openly gay person to be elected to a position of political power. All leading up to his tragic assassination.

Finding Forester= black teenager begins writing for a prestiges school, with the help of a retired author and learns to hone his natural skills as a writer and proves those who condemned him for his race wrong.

Good Will Hunting= poverty stricken delinquent with unlimited potential in the field of mathematics is exploited and damaged as a child from foster homes who grows up and learns to survive in a normal society and even build relationships while working with others to live up to his full potential.







   It is quite clear that the movie Milk, as many would agree has a direct correspondence to it's openly gay director Gus Van Sant. Many would argue that Van Sant must have felt so much anger or resentment or just simply sympathy thinking about his part, being gay at the time, and being gay now thinking about the progress that has been inspired by Harvey Milk. But ironically they would be wrong. While it is true that of course some emotions must connect to the film, overall Gus Van Sant has been quoted on more than one occasion, throwing this notion out entirely to some extents. When asked about his emotion towards the film, he first explained that he was a director and a man, and that being gay doesn't change his film. Secondly and even more suprisingly, when asked about his emotion and what he was doing on the day Harvey Milk's murder. Van Sant said that he was actually driving across country and had never heard of Harvey Milk until a news report informed Van Sant that a gay City Supervisor in San Francisco had been shot.
    Also while discussing those who took part in making the film I think it is extremely important to at least briefly touch on Sean Penn's opinion. I think that Penn gives a great point of view and  greatly expresses what many and possibly what even Harvey Milk himself may have thought. While also giving many something to think about when looking at the biases that many people have towards the gay community and the faulty grounds these biases stand on.


“I also think it’s important to remember, in the long run, that the tension is not between the gay and the faith community,” Sean notes, “The tension is between a gay community, which is in fact, really is gay and a pseudo-faith community, which has nothing to do with God, love, or anything of real faith. So it’s really just hypocrisy and hatred. So any community that really deserves the title of faith community really won’t have a problem with these issues.”

:Sean Penn_on gay rights_interview_Milk