taylormhertzberg-44735 We need more movies showing the lgbt community in a positive light. Milk was a bit slow at times, but overall a pretty good watch. I wish there would have been an lgbt actor playing Milk. I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to know how the lgbt community was treated, what rights they had and what they had to go through for us to get to this point in our history.

classicsoncall I'm not a Sean Penn fan by any stretch, but being objective, the guy did a pretty good job of portraying the title character in this biopic of Harvey Milk, one of the country's first elected gay politicians. If you were politically aware during the Seventies, you knew of Milk because his efforts made national headlines for the gay cause while Anita Bryant, also depicted in this film via archive footage, made her mark as a religious firebrand denouncing the lifestyle. The main thing about Milk that surprised me was how professional and courteous he remained as a political activist, even when confronted by hostile opponents. And his activism didn't solely focus on gays, but in a term he coined - 'us's' - he included Blacks, Asians, working stiffs and anyone else that might have been held back by intolerance or lack of understanding. With that as a frame of reference, the movie achieved a desirable objective.

Kirpianuscus the fight of a man. for principle. for his credo. for a better world. a revolution. and a victory who reminds so many similar other success. short, an useful testimony about the force of hope and determination and courage. the great fact - Milk has the splendid gift to be an universal story. not only about the struggle of a sexual community for its rights. not about a simple man who becomes symbol of the desire to change social perception and to say the truth against each obstacle. and, maybe, not one of the most remarkable roles of Sean Penn. but something real profound.a message. a remind. a testimony. essential more than important. for understand the details who define the life. Milk is the portrait of a hero. and good support for not ignore the other. a powerful pledge for tolerance. and a great film.

moonspinner55 Sean Penn won a well-deserved Best Actor Oscar for portrayal of Harvey Milk, the first openly-gay man elected to public office, serving on the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco circa 1978. One of Harvey's co-workers, Dan White (well-played by Josh Brolin) was disgruntled at Milk's progress and his embracing by fellow Board members, as well as by Mayor George Moscone. Moscone, who backed Harvey's ideals (not to mention his lifestyle, which White couldn't comprehend), was just as guilty in Dan White's eyes of destroying the fabric of the country as Milk, thus ending a colorful and riveting chapter in American history. Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black guides us carefully through Milk's early political ambitions and formation as a possible contender in the political arena, which was full of stop-and-start success. Milk's sexual escapades are softened a bit by the editing, with randy interludes and wild celebrations seen mostly in quick clips. Nevertheless, we get all we need from director Gus Van Sant's intuitive camera, which picks up little bits of character business on the fly, shaping the personalities on the screen. The large ensemble cast works at an incredibly high artistic level, while the masterful art direction and production design (with snippets of mid-1970s footage interspersed) put the audience right there on Market Street in the Castro. The narrative has been streamlined for dramatic purposes, yet is no less powerful for it, particularly to viewers unaware of Harvey Milk's pioneering achievements. ***1/2 from ****