James Franco, Gus Van Sant and Dustin Lance Black shed light on a new, Oscar-nominated biopicBlack is already bagging awards nominations for his screenplay recounting the extraordinary tale of Harvey Milk, who in 1978 became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the US. Milk was shot dead by fellow city supervisor Dan White (played in the film by a superb Josh Brolin) later the same year and, despite the obvious significance of his life and career, remains largely unknown by many even around San Francisco where he spent the last years of his life. "It's very common that people don't know who Harvey Milk is," Black said recently in a Guardian interview at the NFT in London. He added: "It's unfortunate because it means that gay and lesbian kids don't grow up with the sense that they have forefathers and foremothers - and they really do."
Black says that the writing process was a challenge, especially given that Milk's life personally inspired the writer. The story was informed by accounts from Milk's friends and from a variety of documentaries made over the years, although a degree of "telescoping" was needed. But Black explains that Milk's friends understood the process: "They sort of got it. I think they just really wanted to see their father-figure, this man who had been so inspirational to them, they just wanted to see his story told."
Black's script has been brought to the screen by director Gus Van Sant - whose CV includes My Own Private Idaho and Good Will Hunting - and is anchored by a stunning central performance from Sean Penn. In addition, James Franco co-stars as Milk's long-time partner, Scott Smith. The actor is still best known for his role as Peter Parker's best buddy Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man franchise, but Milk marks his most assured performance to date.
Born the year Milk was elected, Franco knew nothing of the man but was encouraged by Van Sant's involvement: "I heard that Gus was doing this movie about a guy named Harvey Milk and I'd known Gus a little bit before that." He adds: "Nobody had told me anything about Harvey Milk, and I grew up an hour away from San Francisco. They don't teach it in history class." Franco also relished the opportunity to work with Van Sant on an important project which the director was particularly enthusiastic about ("He'll be at the top of his game", he remembers thinking).
Figuring out how to interpret Scott was no easy feat for Franco. Smith died in the mid-90s and information wasn't abundant. "I did everything I could to find material on him," he explains, "but as most of the material is about Milk I had to get a lot of stories from friends." Scott was with Milk throughout most of the major events of his life, from coming out and leaving his career as an investment banker, through his first few election campaigns. Franco also tracked down some archive footage which helped him to realise the character and he's confident he's done Scott justice.
The film has received almost universally positive reviews and has tested well from the start, but Van Sant is quick to play down the buzz: "If you become too big a cheerleader for your actions and the actors and the presentation, and on the filmmaking side with the DoP's work and the lighting... " He trails off. Van Sant has had his fair share of critical mauling in the past (think of his ill-fated 1998 remake of Psycho, which came only a year after multiple Oscar success with Good Will Hunting), although Milk is likely to be justifiably remembered as one of his career highs.
Milk has also found further political relevance as its release comes only a few weeks after a law legalising gay marriage in California was abruptly overturned by Proposition 8 in the highest court in the state. Although the situation in America has far improved since Milk's death (the film depicts anti-gay campaigners routinely referring to gay people as paedophiles), Black hopes that the film will help gay and lesbian communities to take inspiration from history. "I wish it could've come a year earlier in a way so that the gay community could look to a time which was far more homophobic but see that we were winning these fights."
Milk's achievements centred on everyone being open and unapologetic about their sexuality, something that Black believes was lacking from the campaign against Proposition 8. "Harvey Milk had come up with this strategy of coming out, being upfront, outreach, education, shaking the hand of the guy or the woman who might vote against you on election day, and that was really lost." He also thinks that there is a danger in overlooking Milk's achievements: "You know, it's the old saying: if you don't know your history you're doomed to repeat it."
This article was first published on InTheNews.co.uk on 17th January 2009.
