#6 - Milk

Milk (directed by Gus van Sant) tells the story of the career of the first openly gay man to hold public office in the United States.  Harvey Milk begins as a nervous, firmly closeted man in New York and ends the story as one of the gay rights movement's celebrated heroes.  Milk chronicles his life in bustling San Francisco, his personal relationships, and his constant battle against opposing forces that aren't afraid to fight dirty.

Again, Milk is a film I had already seen before 2010, but well worth a second viewing.  It's a beautifully crafted piece of work.  Sean Penn immerses himself one hundred percent in the title role.  There are moments of agony and moments of bliss so exquisite that I felt them all even in the comfort of my suburban living room.  As I watched Milk for the second time, I was kind of bothered by the way it plunges viewers who might be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the subject matter directly and harshly into gay culture, but as the action progressed, I realized this might very well be intentional.  Milk doesn't ask you to love Harvey Milk right from the start, nor does it ask you to forgive him for his errors.  But I think it will inspire you by the end, no matter who you are and where you come from, unless you refuse to be anything but hostile.

Probably the second best thing about Milk (with the first being Sean Penn of course) is the fact that it's historically accurate.  When I first saw Milk someone told me that if I really wanted to know the story, I should watch the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk - guess what, it's the same story.  Every moment of joy and fear is made more potent by the fact that they were experienced by real people.  Milk proves that a story doesn't have to be embellished or exaggerated to be powerful.  Despite my own involvement with the LGBT rights movement I knew very little about the details of this story before I saw Milk.  And this one is a story that should be heard.