Gus Van Sant’s, Milk -does a body good! I had such an epic response to the act of watching this film. Meaning that as I got to the theater I found myself experiencing the space the way I first did as a child. I was astounded by the size of the screen as the trailers began, I was giddy with anticipation to see the bigger than life pictures projected before me, I was drawn into the film with the opening credits the way a moth ascends to a shinning light and I found myself overcome with emotion the way I was when I first saw Boys Don’t Cry.
The history and legend of Harvey Milk is of such great importance to me, I was shaking to see it come to life in this accessible tribute. Milk adds momentum to the already mythological status to the man who became a martyr and icon for Gay rights. Harvey Milk gave himself to the cause of equality at a time when the world was a very cold place to be “out” in. Sean Penn portrays Harvey Milk so well that those who knew him have commented that Penn literally brought Harvey alive in the theater for them.
This will surely receive Oscar nods and of course deserving of them. However I would like to raise a flag of caution to Gay films… frankly, Milk will be this years Brokeback Mountain. As important as it is to have Gay history reflected it is equally important, in my opinion, that our stories be reflected in a modern context as well. Meaning that if Gay films are adamantly “Gay only films” they risk being ghettoized into a “Gay only audience,” hence working against what the Gay rights movement needs to achieve. Another example, is it possible that I’m ghettoizing myself by blogging this way? Yes I am, and I do so because we are still at a point where this type of support is necessary to inspire inclusiveness to all those that are uncomfortable with Gay stories and themes. For now we need the Boy’s Don’t Cry, the Brokeback Mountains, the Milks. Hopefully we can begin telling mainstream stories in which the Gay plight is no longer a struggle. I dream of a day when Gay characters are just living their lives with the joy of life we see in Hollywood blockbusters, and not the problems of longing for acceptance and rights is not an issue. I would like to see the exploration of love rather then hate. If we build it they will watch. We don’t need to go into the age old debate, does art influences life? We know popular culture does, if we could only get the mind share that Britney Spears draws.
As I’ve mentioned before I’ve not had to sacrifice what so many before me have to be able to walk down the street with my partner or get married, these basic freedoms are available to me and basically always have been in my country. This struggle still exists in many places in the world, however here in Canada we are progressive enough to set a different tone and it can be an honest message of gays and straights and living together in harmony rather than hate and violence. Before I begin to sound too Gay, I’ll stop myself and leave you with a comment on the power of this film, It’s inspired me to think about how I relate to the world (gay and straight), that’s more powerful than trying to change another persons mind about me. Honest and true growth can only come from with in, you can only change yourself and inspire others to do the same. Milk has inspired me to look at myself.
I wrote this blog the day after Milk was released in Vancouver, BC. I was facing a great many personal set backs at the time. I was on a spiritual path to be more comfortable with myself and to find positive in the world and give positive back. I stopped writing because it seemed pointless. I don’t feel that way any more. Things have changed considerably. Not only for me personally, but on a more global level there has been a shift. Obama. That’s all I have to say now, but I will continue to write more regularly and review the gayest of the gay films you’ve never seen. Stay tuned.
As it turns out there is nothing Gay to review because it’s all coming to theaters in the next few months… hence the billionth trailer I’ve posted in two months. This one looks first rate. Ciao!
Actually it seems like a re-telling of Imagine Me & You. I mean co’mon… the title is I Can’t Think Straight. I love it and I can’t wait for it to play at my local cinema!
In short everyone was afraid of her. She could probably beat me up. A righteous, postmodernist, sex- positive feminist and experimental writer (Although she would have hated being called a feminist). She shook the literary world by the bookends and thrashed it. Kathy Acker offers a woman’s perspective, challenging the dominant male interpretation of the female experience. Best Known for deconstructing patriarchal “male” texts -by taking snippets of them and translating them as to be written by a female character, or re-writing texts that for many seemed blasphemous to re-pen. Needless to say, often she was accused of a kind of plagiarism. Something not as well known, she made videos of herself and partners, speaking into a microphone about their experience mid-coital.
There are those that called her work pornography… I call them pricks. There is a pornographic element to her work… but it’s not porn. Acker was endlessly stripping away the “male” opinion and giving her own raw, angry, ignored two cents, which doesn’t mean that she’s a pornographer. To all the little feminist out there that haven’t met your leader yet… watch this documentary. There are some great minds that speak on Ackers’ behalf in this film, which give us a glimpse at her genius… She was way ahead of her time and should not be feared, but chronicled as an example of a woman speaking freely.
As for my review of the film… this documentary is a goodie! Australian filmmaker Barbra Casper delivers a layered, insightful, vulnerable, portrait of Kathy Acker and the effect she is making on a new generation of women discovering their sexuality, gender and voice.
A massively important figure in the Gay rights movement in the USA during the 70’s and 80’s, Mr. Harvey Milk, is certainly deserving of being played by Sean Penn and Directed by Gus Van Sant.
Harvey Milk? Never heard that name before? Then you’re a bad gay. I mean, I’m a pretty bad gay… but you -ohhh, naughty. We can be naughty together! Sadly, I don’t really appreciate my rights enough to understand the struggle that many before me have had to endure. I’ve never had to deal with extreme hate or violence, the occasional A-hole maybe… But even the straight-folk have to deal with he occasional A-hole. Because of fearless people like Harvey Milk, we’re able to walk down the street with our partners or even get married! In my country anyway. This is one Gay you should know… I recommend checking out a fabulous documentary called The Times of Harvey Milk, narrated by Harvey Fierstein. I was already enamoured with the summer of love in the Haight and Ashbury district, this doc revived my fascination with San Francisco, except this time I was interested in the Gay district. I haven’t even seen Milk, but I bet you it gets an Oscar nod?!
I’m wary of this… but she is our Icon, so I guess I have to support her. It does look sufficiently raunchy and slutty and Queer! The editing is better in the French trailer than in the English one. Please enjoy. You’re welcome!
