"Milk"

I wanted to like this film. I wanted to cheer for Harvey Milk, against the abuses of homophobia, discrimination, for a more egalitarian world, and against bullies and the small-minded. I'm certain the film makers also wanted this. Unfortunately, after watching "Milk", my conclusion is that Harvey Milk is only slightly different from those who discriminated against him.

The films begins on Harvey Milk's 40th birthday. Convinced he's a failure, and convinced that he doesn't want to be, he begins on an unintentional path to find equality. It begins slowly, with a business association in San Francisco. Slowly, as Harvey Milk understands the needs for political representation of San Francisco's large gay community, the movie presents the 1970s as one of blatant discrimination against gays. Humiliation, then, was common -- and apparently accepted and expected.

Eventually, Harvey Milk decides to become the first openly gay elected political official in San Francisco. The struggle and the political maneuvering take up much of the film. It demonstrates Harvey's determination, how he changes, and, the backdrop, the 1970s, becomes a comparison to how much and how little has changed in the US.

While pursuing his political ambitions, Harvey comes across a political rival who represents what San Francisco used to be: straight, Irish, Catholic, bigoted. This political rival, however, is willing to negotiate. He wants to get reelected and Harvey, at one point, needs his affiliation to achieve his political goals.

Harvey, however, eventually turns on him. The specifics, I think, aren't as important as what Harvey could have done. That is, he could have forgiven him. He could have recognized the need for forgiveness, over the need for either vindictiveness or pettiness. Instead, Harvey is now the aggressor -- and perhaps also an abuser.

This was a missed opportunity. If the film makers had chosen, they could have chosen to understand that Harvey Milk, truly, is only slightly different from those who inflicted their bigotries on him. When Harvey Milk had power to abuse, he used it.

And this is why Harvey Milk is not a martyr for the noble cause of equality and against homophobia. Instead, he's an all too-real symbol of the consequences of power.