Sean Penn Embodies Harvey Milk

Milk, directed by the accomplished American indie director Gus Van Sant, stars Sean Penn in the eponymus role and chronicles the political rise and subsequent death of Harvey Milk in the tumultuous 70’s. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay elected public official in the U.S. serving for just one year as supervisor in the San Francisco area. The story is quite factual and the performances especially by Sean Penn and those who portrayed Milk's aides are exceptional. Penn embodies the Milk character so perfectly that you quickly forget that a major star is on the screen acting a role and get caught up in the riveting story. The casting director did a superb job of finding look-a-like actors for all the major roles

Sean Penn demanded they shoot in San Francisco and they eventually shot on location on Castro Street and even in Milk's original camera shop where the art producers recreated its look and feel from the 70s.

Director Gus Van Sant had a special connection with the Harvey Milk murder as he himself came out of the closet after Milk was killed. Van Sant, like many others, was influenced by Milk's political fervor and moved by his comment that “If a bullet enters my head may it also knock down all the closet doors.”

Dustin Lance Black, the screenwriter, is from San Antonio and on reading about Milk's life was moved to write the biographical screenplay. Ironically Milk had also said "There's a kid out there in San Antonio who's going to hear my story and it's going to give him hope." Black, did not have rights to any of the previous biographies, and so spoke to many friends and foes of Harvey Milk to try and capture the real human story. In particular, Cleve Jones, Danny Nicoletta and Anne Kronenberg, who were part of Milk's entourage, contributed tremendous detail.

Originally, around 1992, Oliver Stone was going to do the film with Robin Williams in the lead but when that fell through Rob Epstein, the director of a documentary on Milk, suggested to Van Sant that he take it on; Van Sant approached Warner Bros and entered the project.

Van Sant changed the focus of the film from 'Why did Dan White shoot Milk and the mayor?' to 'Who was Milk and what did he die for?' Initally Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon were all considered for the Dan White role which Josh Brolin eventually played.

Deservedly, Milk is nominated for eight Oscars and though it will not likely win best picture or best director it has an even chance of winning best actor or best original screenplay. A great biopic and a must-see film.

Video Interview with Gus Van Sant

Interview with the screenwriter Dustin Lance Black

55 minute interview session with Charlie Rose

Julian D.