Milk

[Magic Man]

I finally saw this movie. It was very good, and I think Sean Penn did a wonderful job.

It was extremely sad, though. The worst part to me was that, most of the time when you watch a movie like that about a movement from 30+ years ago, you can look at it and say "Well, I'm just glad things have changed, and that doesn't happen anymore". That was not at all the case with this. For those of you who have seen it or who know the story, it could have easily been set in modern day. Just replace Prop 6 with Prop 8 and there's not much difference. The biggest difference is that, in the movie (as in 30 years ago), they actually won, they beat Prop 6. Whereas now, Prop 8 passed. Shows how far we've come, huh?

 

[Sunstone]

I agree the movie was a bit overwhelming because the issues are still unresolved.

 

[Green Gaia]

Excellent movie. I highly recommend it.

 

[Buttons*]

I thought it was a good movie. It tends to demonize Christianity instead of the fact that the guy who shot Milk was probably insane or put up to it. That's my ONLY criticism, otherwise, it was a beautiful love story with a powerful message.

 

[Panda]

I liked the movie. Though I disagree with Buttons that it demonizes Christianity. I would say it demonizes Christianity as it was used as a political weapon at the time.

 

[Buttons*]

I liked the movie. Though I disagree with GG that it demonizes Christianity. I would say it demonizes Christianity as it was used as a political weapon at the time.

GG didn't say that, I did. I did try to mention that it's such a small part of the whole story - and the more important message is the love that was shared and the many triumphs that happened despite the community at large. I did like the story. I wasn't alive during that time, so I don't know for sure if Christianity was really used as a weapon. In this case, it seems that the guy who shot Milk did have mostly good intentions until he snapped. He seemed more like a basket case than a Christian doing God's will. Know what I mean?

 

[Panda]

Sorry I saw she posted and then when seeing who posted that I just saw the green name.

Though I think you are right that it tried to make the reason he killed Milk because he was crazy not really because he was a Christian.

 

[Magic Man]

Yeah, I don't think it demonized Christianity any more than it deserves. I mean, Christianity does play a huge role in discriminating against gay people. That's undeniable. Of course, I think it made it pretty clear that Dan White shot him because he snapped, not because he was Christian.

That's another sad point, though. I can't believe Dan White only served 5 friggin' years for killing two people. That's just insane. I don't generally wish people ill, but when it said at the end that he committed suicide 2 years after being released, my reaction was "Good".

 

[Smoke]

I thought the movie was excellent. Personally, I still prefer the 1984 documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, but Milk has obviously reached a much larger audience, and is very well done.

I don't think the film demonizes Christianity at all. If anything, it lets Christianity off the hook to a greater extent than it deserves. I don't think for a moment that Dan White killed Harvey Milk because White was a Christian and Milk was gay, and I don't think the film implies in any way that he did. There are other villains in the story, though, like Anita Bryant and John Briggs, and we have many more like them today in real life. Such people are almost without exception motivated by religion, and in the United States the vast majority of them are motivated by Christianity, and by a desire to impose Christian teachings on the general public.