Milk

Just watched Milk. Despite what I’ve heard about it-that it’s more of a character study than a feature film-I just watched Milk. I just watched Milk and I don’t even know what to do with myself.

Unfortunately I was hesitant to watch this film cause I was afraid it would be boring, however I was proved very wrong. Sure this film, in terms of basic form and style, is not one of the best but what I can assure you is that it goes beyond this because of the time it was released and what it represents to the public today. Was Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song a “good film” maybe not but it was important and pertinent for the time it was released and what it represented to its public. Yes. With an incredible script, and an outstanding cast, which shows superb acting from some of our prime veterans to some of our young and brightest, Milk for me is exceptional. As a film lover and scholar, Milk presents another example of a film that is significant and will be spoken about for years to come because of—very importantly—it’s timing.

Right now we are in a period of unrest. Sadly on November 5th 2008 millions of people voted YES for Prop 8 in California, they said YES to bigotry, YES to discrimination and YES to second-class status for same-sex couples. What difference does Prop 8 have in comparison to Prop 6 that Harvey Milk was fighting? Everyone deserves the same rights and the fact that Prop 8 passed is sickening!

On noonprop8.com there is a quote from activist and writer Anne Lamott, she says “Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don’t give up.” Milk will be a representation and message of what some of the film community was trying to say about Gay rights during this period. It’s message is a hopeful one. A reminder saying never to give up, never give up, because if you never give up you’ll never fail and things will get better. No matter who’s eyes are watching we are all created equal. It’s quite simple, don’t be small and closed minded. Don’t support bigotry and discrimination. We all deserve the same rights.