Harvey Milk: A Biographical Film

Milk is a biographical film focusing on the life and political journey of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to be elected into public office in California. The film spans the years 1970 through 1978, with some footage of actual riots and protests from previous years. During this time, the fight for gay rights was intense and increasingly growing. The idea for a film centering on Harvey Milk’s life arose in 1991, but it was not released until October of 2008, when laws affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community were high on the political agenda. The film stars Sean Penn as Milk, and other key actors include Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, and James Franco. The script was written by Dustin Lance Black, and …show more content…
The country was engaged in a rights revolution, and different groups were gaining power through legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the formation of organizations such as the National Women’s Organization (Spring 2017 Course Reader). With civil rights for African Americans and feminism gaining so much attention, the gay community sought more rights as well, opening the opportunity for Harvey Milk to rise to power (Murphy n.pag). Once determined to fight for gay rights through a political career, Harvey Milk makes a statement over the next eight years, and he does so in a vibrant and charismatic …show more content…
He still faces setbacks, and the film accurately portrays the anti-homosexual sentiments that much of the nation held at the time, including two major socially conservative figures—Anita Bryant and California Senator John Briggs. Bryant worked relentlessly to repeal a Florida law that made employers unable to discriminate based on sexual orientation, which started a country-wide movement to “save our children” from homosexuality (Murphy n.pag.). Milk fought against this movement, along with legislation such as Proposition 6 (the Briggs initiative), which outlines a plan to ban gays from working in California public schools. The filmmakers succeed at incorporating accurate information about the political figures and legislation while also depicting the emotional torment that such legislation placed on the gay community. As Milk’s passionate efforts gained popularity within the gay community, he also gained enemies, ultimately leading to his assassination in 1978. His life may have been cut short, but as the film showcases, Harvey Milk’s life leaves a lasting impact on citizens across the nation (Milk

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