Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Journal #5 Revised: The Harvey Milk Way


            Milk is a wonderful film depicting one of America’s most challenging and monumental moments of human rights. Harvey milk, portrayed perfectly by Sean Penn, is such a wonderfully amazing American hero, and this film captured his wit and personality perfectly. Sean Penn does great justice to the wonderful politician of the people, and he makes it clear that he appreciates the wonderful character Milk presented to everybody he met. This movie has a stellar cast that all blend perfectly together to really depict the sense of urgency, courage and perseverance these openly gay activists exhibited to a world that hated them. I do not know how they had the courage to face police brutality, constant public harassment and to hear respected individuals across the nation calling them sick and un-human. Cleve Jones, Emile Hirsch, exhibits this courage by his transformation from a small town homosexual looking for a wealthy man in California, to one of Harvey Milk’s most trusted friends and spectacular political activists. There are so many wonderfully complex aspects to this film and each scene after another was equally enchanting to the very complex life story of Harvey Milk.



            In the beginning of the film, the bold dismal mood was set as the video footage screened the aftermath of the double homicide, and also during the entire film as Sean Penn brilliantly dictates his “In case of assassination speech.” Clearly this film was created to ignite emotion and portray a terrifying historical moment in American history that normally gets passed over. The life of Harvey Milk was very complex and heavily challenging. The film included many wonderful moments that made him very happy and fulfilled, but the immense hate and ignorance this man faced in his life was truly incredible. The historical Hollywood films, which present real situations that people find easier to sweep under the table than to discuss, allows knowledge and understanding about these major events to flow through modern Americans.

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