"Milk" opens with archival footage of gay history that may shock many people. During the opening credits, a barrage of vintage film clips reminds us that only 50 years ago gay men, lesbians and transsexuals were subjected to violence, harassment, physical abuse, arrest and humiliation by those that citizens look to for protection: the police and judicial authorities. Using flashbacks from a statement recorded late in life and archival footage for atmosphere, this film traces Harvey Milk's career from his 40th birthday to his death.
Dianne Feinstein (Ashlee Temple) announces on November 27, 1978 that Supervisor Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and Mayor George Moscone (Victor Garber) have been assassinated. Milk is seen recording his will throughout the film, nine days before the assassinations. The film then flashes back to NYC in 1970, the eve of Milk's 40th birthday and his first meeting with his much younger lover, Scott Smith (James Franco). Milk and Smith move to San Francisco hoping to find acceptance of their relationship. They open Castro Camera in the heart of Eureka Valley, a working class neighborhood evolving into a predominantly gay neighborhood known as The Castro. Frustrated by the opposition they encounter, Milk uses his background as a businessman to become a gay activist, eventually becoming a mentor for Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), the ex-street hustler who created the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial. Early on, Smith serves as Milk's campaign manager, but his frustration grows with Milk's devotion to politics, and he leaves him. Milk later meets Jack Lira (Diego Luna), a sweet but disturbed young man. Just like Smith, Lira cannot tolerate Milk's political activism, and eventually hangs himself.
After two unsuccessful political campaigns in 1973 and 1975 to become a City Supervisor and a third in 1976 for the California State Assembly, Milk finally wins a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 for District 5. His victory makes him the first openly gay man to be elected into major public office in the US. Milk then meets fellow Supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin), a Vietnam veteran and former police officer and firefighter. White, who is politically and socially conservative, has a difficult relationship with Milk, and grows resentful of the attention paid to Milk by the press and his colleagues.
White and Milk manage a working relationship. Milk attends the christening of White's first child, and White asks for Milk's assistance in preventing a psychiatric hospital from opening in his district, possibly in exchange for White's support of Milk's citywide gay rights ordinance. When Milk fails to support White, he feels betrayed, and he is the only one to vote against the gay rights ordinance. Milk also launches an effort to defeat Proposition 6, an initiative on the California state ballot in November 1978. Sponsored by John Briggs (Denis O'Hare), a conservative state legislator from Orange County, Proposition 6 seeks to ban gays, lesbians, and anyone who supports them from working in California's public schools. It is also part of a nationwide conservative movement that starts with the successful campaign headed by Anita Bryant and her organization "Save Our Children" in Dade County, Florida to repeal a local gay rights ordinance. On November 7, 1978, after working tirelessly against Proposition 6, Milk and his supporters rejoice in the wake of its defeat. The increasingly unstable White wants a Supervisor pay raise, but does not get much support, and shortly after supporting the Proposition, resigns from the Board. He later changes his mind and asks the city to rescind his decision. Mayor Moscone denies his request, after having been lobbied by Milk to do so.
On the morning of November 27, 1978, White enters San Francisco City Hall through a basement window in order to conceal a gun from metal detectors. He requests another meeting with Moscone, who rejects his request for re-appointment. Enraged, White shoots Moscone and then Milk. The film suggests that Milk believed that White might be a closeted gay man. "Milk" ends with an aerial shot of the candlelight vigil held by thousands for Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone throughout the streets of the city.
Harvey Milk is now a gay icon. What he started lives on, so the movie ends on a hopeful note. Milk was a a frail human being, idealistic, funny, complex, tender, and gentle. He is the subject of Randy Shilts' biography "The Mayor of Castro Street", and the 1984 Oscar-winning documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk". This near-perfect motion picture makes its point without ever being preachy, while remaining true and accurate regarding the historical and biographical facts. It received 8 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, winning two for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Sean Penn and Best Original Screenplay for Dustin Lance Black. Danny Elfman composed the music score, and Gus Van Sant directed.
