"My name is Harvey Milk, and I'm here to recruit you!"

Milk

2008; USA; 128 min.

Director: Gus Van Sant

Screenplay: Dustin Lance Black

Music: various artists

Cast:

Harvey Milk - Sean Penn

Cleve Jones - Emile Hirsch

Dan White - Josh Brolin

Jack Lira - Diego Luna

Scott Smith - James Franco

Anne Kronenberg - Allison Pill

Mayor George Moscone - Victor Garber

State Senator John Briggs - Dennis O'Hare

Dick Pabich - Joseph Cross

Rick Stokes - Stephen Spinella

Danny Nicoletta - Lucas Grabeel

Jim Rivaldo - Brandon Boyce

At the beginning of my Art of Film course, we were asked to fill out questionnaires about our film tastes. On that survey, one of the questions was asking about our favorite directors. I had absolutely no clue what to write - I probably didn't write anything. I didn't have one person in mind. I had favorite films, but I wasn't interested in what went on behind the scenes. I learned, however, that the director, whether an auteur or not, truly makes the film. When I saw that Gus Van Sant had a new film out, I had to see it. I absolutely loved both "Elephant" and "Good Will Hunting," which were two films he directed that we viewed in class. 

"Milk" is the true story of the first openly gay politician from San Francisco, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn). The film documents his journey to gaining political power from the very beginning. (SPOILER ALERT) The viewer is first told that Milk gets assassinated by fellow politician, Dan White (Josh Brolin), and throughout the film Milk is intermittently leaving an audio recording telling his own story. Milk teams up with Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Anne Kronenberg (Allison Pill), and others in his shop, Castro Camera, to plan his political career. "Milk" also tracks the sweet, heartwarming, and genuine romantic encounters of Harvey Milk with both Jack Lira (Diego Luna) and Scott Smith (James Franco).

Homosexuality in film is a very touchy subject. I'm sure many people will reject "Milk" for this aspect alone. I was wondering how "Milk" would be received in more conservative areas of the country, and other parts of the world. I thought that both the acting and the script allowed for an appropriate portrayal of just pure love. I think that regardless of orientation, the audience was able to appreciate the fact that the couple just really loved each other. I liked the fact that the characters weren't stereotypically flamboyant homosexuals, which sometimes happens with gay characters. I was wondering while watching the film if there was a bias portrayed. After seeing "Jesus Camp," it's been hard for me to see a film and not think about bias. I came to the conclusion that there really is no bias or perspective on homosexuality in the film. I really don't think the film offends heterosexuals or homosexuals. Ultimately, if you judge the film and refuse to see it based on the plot alone, you'll miss out on beautiful cinematography and a hit from Gus Van Sant.

Gus Van Sant is simply amazing. I absolutely love the cinematography in his films, and "Milk" was no exception. The shots in "Milk" were outstanding. There's one particular scene that I was watching in the theater in awe. The homosexual community of Castro in San Francisco has this signal, that when any riot breaks out, they'll blow whistles to signal each other. When one riot breaks out, the camera zooms in on a close-up shot of a shiny silver whistle on the ground. In the round part of the whistle, you watch a reflection of what is happening on the street - the police are questioning a homosexual man. I think that this shot is just so innovative and definitely attests to Van Sant's greatness. Van Sant builds suspense in the film when Milk is about to give one of his public speeches. Milk receives a post card that informs him the he will be shot the minute that he gets up on the podium to deliver his speech. Van Sant creates this moment with his audience in shock. I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for something to happen when, ultimately, Milk delivers his speech unscathed. When Mayor George Moscone (Victor Garber) is assassinated, you can barely see the gun in the corner of the screen. If you blink once, you'd probably miss it. After that shooting, we follow the assassin to his next victim in a replica shot of the way that "Elephant" tracks people from behind. I almost died when I saw it - it was so signature Van Sant. How about them apples? Anyhow, another part of the cinematography that I loved was the incorporation of real videos and old news reports into the film. The real footage laced into the plot reminded you that this story was, in fact, true. I loved how in some scenes, such as one of the last ones of a memorial march, you're watching the scene in the moment in the film and Van Sant slowly fades into the old footage. However, the old footage is reproduced so brilliantly that you hardly realized that you're watching old videos. One thing that I did notice in "Milk" was a little slip up. At one point in the top center of the screen, you could see one of those microphones that hang overhead. I didn't mind though - I guess I just find it amusing that no one noticed it prior to releasing the film. As I was watching this movie, I decided something about Van Sant. All of Van Sant's films are truly meant to expose. I have felt that this is true in "Milk," "Elephant," and "Good Will Hunting." Overall, I just have so much respect for Van Sant as a master of his trade.

The casting in this film was definitely a contributor to its success. Every actor played their part fabulously and realistically. At the end of the film, the audience is shown pictures of each of the people in the film and their real life counterpart. The ironic thing is that the actors and the people looked almost identical most of the time. The physical resemblance was not the only reason for the success of the casting. I think that the character development was executed beautifully in the film. I felt connected to the characters, especially Milk, at the end. This connection that is built between the characters and the audience makes the symbolic ending all the more powerful and tragic - I was almost trembling in my seat and my friend had tears streaming down her face. By the end of the film, I was so interested in the whole topic. I had never heard of the issues that went on in San Francisco before. The film made me want to go research the topic and read as much as I could about it (I'm in the process of researching...). I think that "Milk" is such a success as a film because of this. "Milk" brought me into a whole world that I hadn't been exposed to before. "Milk" is demonstrative of the power of a good film to influence and persuade.

Throughout the film, there were many profound Harvey Milk quotes that I found to be quite inspiring and amazing. I've decided to list some of them below:

• Without hope, life's not worth living.
• All men are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words.
• You're going to meet the most extraordinary men, the sexiest, brightest, funniest men, and you're going to fall in love with so many of them, and you won't know until the end of your life who your greatest friends were or your greatest love was.
• Burst down those closet doors once and for all, and stand up and start to fight.

Much talk has been circulating this film. I saw an interesting point that was brought up about "Milk" and California's Prop 8. I wonder if this film was released earlier if it would have influenced the result of Prop 8. Also, "Milk" is said to be in contention for an Oscar this year. Critics have also said that "Milk" might be the best film of the year. I hope that "Milk" wins the awards that it deserves. 

I could really go on and on about this film. I could post scenes and do mise-en-scene analyses. I'm truly so enthusiastic about this film. I think that's it's politically an important film to see. It's vital, in my opinion, to educate yourself about others' lifestyles and about history. In no way is this film limited to a homosexual audience. As a straight person, I was able to thoroughly appreciate the film. I would highly recommend "Milk" to anyone - it's an amazing documentary that should be seen!

iRate: 5/5 posters

Trailer: Click here to watch the trailer & begin experiencing one of the greatest films I've ever seen!

"Well, I got her number. How do you like them apples?"

Good Will Hunting
1997; USA; 126 min.

Director: Gus Van Sant
Screenplay: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck
Music: various artists

Cast:
Sean Maguire - Robin Williams
Will Hunting - Matt Damon
Chuckie Sullivan - Ben Affleck
Professor Gerald Lambeau - Stellan Skarsgard
Skylar - Minnie Driver

I was pleasantly surprised with our second student choice film, "Good Will Hunting." The plot was really smart and the screenplay itself was quite interesting. The plot begins as the viewer meets Will Hunting (Matt Damon), a janitor at MIT who hangs around drinking and smoking with a group of his buddies, including Chuckie Sullivan (Ben Affleck). One night, they meet Skylar (Minnie Driver) at a bar. At the bar, which happens to be populated with MIT students, another guy (an MIT student) is trying to pick up Skylar. Chuckie is also trying to do so, but the MIT student is showing off with his intellect. Will comes along and completely calls the MIT student out on his fake knowledge (he has simply regurgitated a textbook), impressing Skylar. Will catches the interest of Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard) when he solves an impossible math problem on the board. Will's journey continues as he works with the Professor, as he is taught by Maguire (Robin Williams), a psychologist, and as he falls in love with Skylar.

One interesting thing about the film is that the ending is not exactly 100% clear. As blogger Film Lover (http://tributetofilm.blogspot.com/) commented (in an amazing throwback to AP English 11-3), there were many "dramatic possibilites" to the ending of the film. A big shout-out is in order for blogger 7thpeerwatcher (http://7thpeerwatcher.blogspot.com/) for nominating the film. I would definitely recommend this film, and I'll probably end up watching it again!

iRate: 4.5/5 apples
Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z02M3NRtkAA

"Well this is it. We're gonna die today. I've never even kissed anyone before, have you?"

Elephant
2003; USA; 81 min.

Director: Gus Van Sant
Screenplay: Gus Van Sant
Music: Felix Andrew (sound mixer)

Cast:
Alex - Alex Frost
Eric - Eric Deulen
John McFarland - John Robinson
Elias - Elias McConnell
Jordan - Jordan Taylor
Carrie - Carrie Finklea
Nicole - Nicole George
Brittany - Brittany Mountain
Acadia - Alicia Miles
Kristen Hicks - Michelle
Benny - Bennie Dixon
Nathan - Nathan Tyson

*SPOILER ALERT: I'm definitely going to spoil some of the plot in my post, so just be warned...
Let me clear something up before I start blogging: When I say that I love this movie, I mean the way in which it is shot (no pun intended, honestly!). I'm not some sadistic person who is amused by school violence. On the contrary, the topic is always something that I find extremely upsetting. That being said, I absolutely loved "Elephant." I thought that the personalities of the characters were real, and not overexaggerated and stereotyped. The cinematography was stunning. The way that Van Sant follows around the students gives you a direct view of their perspective - literally! I thought that the imagery with the clouds in both the establishing and final shots was brilliant. The non-linear structure of the film was extremely interesting and made the viewer think. The way that the stories connect and how the same moment is re-played is probably one of them most innovative ideas I've seen in film. The film suggests that everyone is connected, yet at the same time, disconnected. While these stories are interwoven, everyone is quite absorbed in their own lives. It's even apparent when the film around the character you are following is blurred - the characters seem to be oblivious to others' problems. That's where the title of the film comes in.

One of my favorite books, The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch, describes the "elephant in the room" concept. While he was not the first to coin the well-known idea, it was in Pausch's book that I heard of it. Pausch, a late professor at Carnegie Mellon, refers to his pancreatic cancer as the "elephant in the room." When he gave his "last lecture" at Carnegie Mellon, he gave out stuffed animals at the end, one of them being an elephant. Pausch started his lecture by talking about the "elephant" and that his cancer was not going to hold him back. The "elephant in the room" is something that is so obvious, but people blatantly ignore. I think that "Elephant" is a thoughtful, intelligent title for this film. The isolation that both Alex (Alex Frost) and Eric (Eric Deulen) face is extremely obvious from the second time we see them in the film, when one of the boys is being pelted with spitballs during class. Alex and Eric aren't the only "elephants." The whole idea of school shooting is an "elephant" in our society. People don't want to think about it, because they know that it won't personally affect them. Unfortunately and sadly, it has happened (i.e. the horrific events at Columbine). Many people don't deal with this "elephant," and ignore it completely.

With my new "film eyes," I began to watch "Elephant" completely determined to spot hidden film elements. Much of what I wrote down is probably over-analysis, but I feel compelled to share my ideas (and some little details that I have noticed in the film) on my blog, which people may or may not read...

- The name of the high school is Watt High School. Could Watt possibly relate to the unit of power, watts? The plot is ultimately, when the boys are faced with the principal, a fight against power.

- Most of the visual imagery is composed of lines and linear objects.

- At one point in the film, there is a green carpet. In the beginning of the film, the sky is green. Do these opposing spaces mean that the world has literally turned "upside down"?

- I noticed that when Elias (Elias McConnell) is taking photos, John (John Robinson) taps his hip. I originally thought that this forshadowed John being shot in the hip. I was wrong.

- The lamp post top in the establishing shot is shaped in a backwards "E," while the light almost looks like an "A." Does this have any relation to Eric and Alex?

- When Nathan (Nathan Tyson) is moving across the field, he steps over many lines. He goes between the people playing frisbee and the field line. My original thought was that Nathan was the killer because he was crossing these boundaries. I was wrong.

- In one scene, Michelle's tag is sticking out of her sweater. Why? Is she just unkempt like that? Is it intentional?

- The director alludes to the Nazi's by showing a segment of what Alex and Eric are watching on TV.

- The chemical developing container that Elias flips up and down sounds like a gun. I thought he was the killer. I was wrong.

- The film uses pathetic fallacy when it depicts the thunderstorm and darkening clouds before the shooting.

- One of the blonde girls in the "popular trio" is cut out of one of the frames while she is talking. Does this mean she will be "out of the picture" and shot later? My foreshadowing was correct, but I think it is merely coincidence.

- One of the brunette girls says, "I'm not gonna' kill you." I found this line interesting because I thought it may foreshadow the fact that someone else might kill her [the girl she is talking to]. I was correct, however, I don't know if this was a real moment of foreshadowing.

- The blonde boy (I'm not sure if it was Alex or Eric; I'm still unsure about who's who.) is lying in his bed with his hands crossed over his head in an "x" shape. I thought that this might foreshadow him being handcuffed and potentially arrested. I was wrong. Van Sant doesn't offer any consequences for the boys' actions.

- Allusion to Macbeth: "So foul and fair a day I have not seen." - Alex

- Why does Michelle's outfit match her boss' at the library the day that she is shot?

- Does the Gay Straight Alliance meeting scene forshadow the kiss that Alex and Eric share in the shower scene?

- Film Goof: When we first see the boys (Alex and Eric) in their camo gear, the weather outside is cloudy, but the ground is dry. When we see the boys later on during the re-play of the same scene from their perspective (as opposed to John's earlier) the ground is wet.

That concludes my intense film moments analysis. I know most of it is probably a stretch, but who knows? Maybe all of my ideas will pay off and I'll get a "Baby Daz" for originality! ;-)

The plot reminded me exactly of the novel, Nineteen Minutes, by Jodi Picoult. Picoult is one of my favorite authors, and usually tells her stories from the point of view of numerous characters. Picoult jumps back and forth between characters by having each chapter be written by a different character. This is almost identical to the intertitles that we see in "Elephant." Nineteen Minutes has the same non-linear structure as "Elephant," and is also pertaining to a school shooting. Nineteen Minutes was published in 2008, while "Elephant" was released in 2003. Suspicious... I almost want to e-mail Picoult to see if she has seen "Elephant." The two works bear an uncanny resemblance.

From the beginning of the film on, I feel like Van Sant wants you to think that each new character is the killer. First, when we're introduced to John, I though he was definitely the killer. His family life, including his drunk dad, supported my thoughts. Then, I thought that it was Nathan, the "jock," because (SPOILER ALERT FOR NINETEEN MINUTES) in Picoult's novel, it's that same character type who does the shooting. The plot in Nineteen Minutes also suggests that Carrie could be the killer. When we meet Michelle, I was definite that it was her. There was obviously something going on with her (like when she wouldn't wear shorts in gym). I thought she probably had a body image issue, like anorexia or bulimia. Also, Michelle was a loner. Elias also seemed like he could be the killer. However, after all of the build-up, it's obvious that Alex and Eric are the killers when you meet them. The idea of two boys executing the premeditated killing spree is congruous with the events that occured at Columbine High School.

When most people were criticizing "Elephant" in my class, their main complaint was the slow pace of the film. "Too much walking," was a common complaint. I feel that the pace was appropriate for it's purpose. As a favorite teacher of mine once said, "Form Follows Function!" The slow pace really made you feel that you were a part of the boring school day. You could truly feel like you were there, which made the movie quite horrifying. The slow pace also allows for the plot to build. I think that the director wants to try and build a relationship between the viewers and each of the characters so that the ending and eventual death of the characters is that much more horrific and personal. Van Sant doesn't really suggest motivations for the killers. The director does offer the following as ideas: Nazi following, violent video games, bullying, and unsupervision.

I know this is an extremely long entry, but I definitely had a lot to say about probably the shortest full-length film we've watched in class. If you've made it this far in reading, feel free to comment... my blog is like Michelle, very lonely. (Just kidding... but honestly, you've already taken the time to read my crazy ideas, so why not?!) As I stated in the beginning of this entry, I loved this film, and think that it appropriately deals with an upsetting, horrific subject matter. I would warn viewers before they watch the film that the content is disturbing and some of the language is vulgar; but if you can get past that, Van Sant's genius camerawork triumphs and shines in this film.

iRate: 5/5 perspectives
Trailer: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1000538393/