In the opening scene of the 1941 film Citizen Kane, the title character dies after uttering, "rosebud." And the meaning of his final word is at the center of the classic non-linear narrative. As the film examines Kane's life through flashback sequences, subtle clues are offered to decipher the mystery.
The biographical drama Milk shares a similar early scene. Like Citizen Kane, the audience learns in the first few moments that the title character is dead. In a 1978 archival footage, the president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Dianne Feinstein, announces that a fellow elected Supervisor, Harvey Milk was shot to death. Subsequently, the film looks back on the political activist's life as he rises from a neighborhood leader to become the first openly gay elected official in the history of California, only to become the target of the homophobic public.
Sean Penn as Harvey Milk in Milk
But the role of the title characters' deaths is very different for the two narratives. In the fictional Citizen Kane, the opening scene is the basis of the mystery, with the only character who knows the meaning of "rosebud" taking his secret to the grave. But the knowledge of Milk's death may serve as a spoiler to those unfamiliar with his life. So why did director Gus Van Sant place the Dianne Feinstein scene at the beginning of the film?
Perhaps Van Sant believed that Milk's assassination is common knowledge, similar to that of Martin Luther King, John F. Kennedy, and Malcolm X. And keeping these figures' deaths a "secret" would be ludicrous. But are typical 21st-century moviegoers familiar with Harvey Milk's assassination? And if not, should they be?
Harvey Milk (wikipedia.org)
Van Sant makes a convincing argument that Harvey Milk should be a household name, as one of the early pioneers in the gay rights movement, risking his life to fight for the LGBT community. Perhaps, the matter-of-fact treatment of his assassination at the beginning of the film asserts that Milk's story should be common knowledge, even if it's not. But there may be another purpose to the Dianne Feinstein archival footage.
The film opens with black and white videos and news clippings showing men being arrested at gay bars. The images seem like they were from a different time, documenting unimaginable acts from days gone by. Then, Feinstein is shown on a TV news broadcast announcing that Milk and San Francisco mayor George Moscone had been assassinated. The remarkable scene is notable because Feinstein is not just a historical figure from a bigoted past. She is a current U.S. Senator from California.
Although the early footage may imply that the horrible treatment of gays was a shameful stain in American history, showing Feinstein reveals that the events are not from the distant past. Undoubtedly, many of the individuals actively repressing gay rights during Milk's life are still demanding to be heard. And they continue to employ a powerful tool in their arsenal.
Diane Feinstein in the late 1970s (wikipedia.org)
The film shows anti-gay-rights activists, including the entertainer Anita Bryant and California politician John Briggs. Both use religious grounds to argue their case. And their strategy persists, with the majority of Evangelical Protestants disapproving of homosexuality and influencing the Republican party to select conservative judges that may favor religious rights over LGBTQ rights. Furthermore, the U.S. is not alone in restricting human rights based on religion.
With the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan and the takeover by the Taliban, there is fear that LGBTQ citizens will be mistreated. However, the pre-existing Afghanistan Constitution already allows Sharia (religious) law to persecute the LGBTQ community. And there are more than 60 other nations that currently outlaw homosexuality. Fortunately, the U.S. is more liberal than these nations that do not practice the "separation of church and state." But the future of LGBTQ rights in the U.S. is uncertain.
The landmark Obergefell v. Hodges U.S. Supreme Court decision legalized same-sex marriage in 2015. But the 5-4 vote was far from unanimous, with all four conservative judges voting against the ruling. Today, there are six conservative judges on the supreme court, threatening to reverse advances achieved by gay-rights activists. These justices, nominated by Republican Presidents, were chosen for their conservative judicial views but also their religious right ideology.
Washington D.C. following the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision (abcnews.com)
Milk is an important film. Although revealing the title character's death at the beginning of the narrative may reduce the dramatic effect of the climactic assassination scene, the story brings to the forefront the legacy of the pioneering gay-rights activist. By the end of the movie, someone unfamiliar with Milk's life and achievements may question why our society has not elevated Milk to a higher status. Why is his story not covered routinely in high school history classes? Why is the 2008 film the first major studio drama chronicling his life?
Perhaps, the influence of the religious activists that battled Milk persists in the U.S. These souls who hate in God's name may have prevented Milk's story from reaching the mainstream, with educators and movie executives shying away from a potentially controversial topic. But every American should watch Milk, not just to learn about his accomplishments but also to realize we still have a long way to go to provide equality to all Americans.
Andrew’s Grade: B
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