Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[Cadaverous Pallor]

We finally saw Milk, and I have to say that I didn't like it nearly as much as the documentary. Way too much romantic storyline, meh. I dislike that in any doc style movie, regardless of sexual orientation. It was kind of cool that they put all that personal, seriously gay stuff in without worrying about backlash, but personally, I'm more interested in the politics. Some of my favorite details from the documentary were left out of the film.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

We finally saw Milk, and I have to say that I didn't like it nearly as much as the documentary. Way too much romantic storyline, meh.

Hahaha, I finally saw the documentary this week, and have to say I didn't like it nearly as much as the film.

The documentary COMMENTARY was very interesting. Apparently, and this is borne out by the film, it's NOT a biography of Harvey Milk. In fact, the title is often mistaken, even in print advertising, and that's why I - and apparently so many others - think it is called "The Life and Times of Harvey Milk" when, in fact, the title is "The Times of Harvey Milk" - - and so the subject matter is the politics and not the man.

The subject of the theatrical film is the man, and that's why his LIFE is more central to the story. I think the balance is better in the movie ... and it turns out to be so much more based on fact that I at first dramatic-licentiously assumed, that I find it a better document of Harvey Milk than "The Times of Harvey Milk."

Both films are important, and moving, but the Oscar-winning movie is - imo - more entertaining and far more moving (I think I cried at 4 or 5 points, while I shed narry a tear during the docu.).



Obviously the subject matter has become very important to me in the last few months. Watching both films this week, it struck me that I had lived in California but 3 months when Harvey Milk was assassinated. And though I was aghast at the news, it meant relatively little to me. It's so odd to realize I never could have known at 18 in '78 how central to my life the tale of Harvey Milk would become 30 years later.

Ironically, I also started a complete cold-turkey withdrawal from gay activism this week, and will remain on hiatus until the Supreme Court decision is handed down. Work in the activist community is completely focused on losing, and it's been badly affecting my perhaps naive optimism re the outcome.


Of course Harvey Milk remains a rather inspirational figure to me. The documentary filmmakers remark that Harvey's story was already fading into the mists of history when they started their work, and hoped the film would cement the story for posterity. I rather think the Sean Penn movie accomplishes that worthy task far better and with much more lasting concrete. But each film offers a unique angle on an important chapter in the American story of civil rights struggle.

Great Double Feature.