Gus Van Sant's MILK

for the record, I thought MILK was mostly awesome. had some trouble when Penn's character seemed very self aware of his impending assassination (that early morning scene on the phone), but it quickly got back on track after that.

btw, i'm more of an Elephant and Gerry fan and not so much a Good Will Hunting and Finding Forrester fan. not at all actually.
 
Zak Forsman said:
btw, i'm more of an Elephant and Gerry fan and not so much a Good Will Hunting and Finding Forrester fan. not at all actually.
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I think this and Drugstore Cowboy are his best work. I like Good Will Hunting and To Die For. Finding Forrester was way too conventional and uninspired.
 
Enough of a heterosexual man here to NOT be bothered by gay people doing what gay people do . I always thought guys who get squeemish about things might be a little soft in the middle anyway. No, I don't mean gay.
 
Yeah I loved Milk and can't wait to see it again but I'm totally with Zak on Van Sant, Gerry, Elephant, Last Days, and Paranoid Park are his films that I love and appreciate.

The DP of Milk, Harris Savides, did the first three of those film and the article on Milk in AC this month really kicked ass, he did some really sweet stuff to make the film look more authentic and so many of the locations were the actual ones from Harvey's life.
 
Kubrick71 said:
The DP of Milk, Harris Savides, did the first three of those film and the article on Milk in AC this month really kicked ass, he did some really sweet stuff to make the film look more authentic and so many of the locations were the actual ones from Harvey's life.
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The film did look like it was shot in the 70's. Not just the production design but the cinematography felt like it was from that era.
 
Batutta said:
Hey, I don't mind them doing what they do, but seeing it in extreme close-up 30 feet high is a bit much to take.
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It's a conversation that never dies on dvxuser...or anywhere else.

Milk is awesome filmmaking. And given that we are supposedly filmmakers too, gee whiz, grab some kahonas. If human lips connecting with other human lips on screen, at any size, gives you any trouble at all, I say, it's time to be a man and get over it. I don't think there was even any nudity. I was too involved in the story to notice.
 
sean90291 said:
If human lips connecting with other human lips on screen, at any size, gives you any trouble at all, I say, it's time to be a man and get over it.
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As I said, I really enjoyed the film, and don't think it should be any different. I was just being honest about my visceral, knee-jerk, non-intellectual response. I actually respect that Van Sant didn't make a "safe for the masses" gay story like Philadelphia, but let it all hang out.
 
Batutta said:
I actually respect that Van Sant didn't make a "safe for the masses" gay story like Philadelphia, but let it all hang out.
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You're right, Van Sant's film is brave. It feels different than other films I've seen. Hard to put a finger on. I think he's an artist through and through.
 
Just got back from this.

Really enjoyed the movie and thought it was great.

It's unfortunate that most people who are sympathetic to homosexuals will see this movie and come out feeling the same, or maybe slightly more justified in their opinions, yet the people who are against the whole matter will ignore the film and never see it.

Doesn't make the film at all bad, just unfortunate the audience that needs to see it the most will probably never bother.
 
Was it the projectionist, or does this film have constant exposure flickers?

The first time the recurring scene showed with Penn talking into the microphone, it looked like the light above him was flickering, and this same subtle flicker stayed through the whole film. At some points, it looked like the projectionist slid something like an ND filter over the projector and left it on for a few scenes. The highlights were pretty much gray the entire film.


Other than that, I liked the film a lot. The only thing I didn't really like was how it was sort of like "Gays vs. The Cops" and "Gays vs. Christians" instead of acknowledging how the often-opposing forces aren't always at war with each other or even against each other.
 
This is the best I have seen in a theater so far this year. Sean Penn with an incredible performance.

I am now really interested to see The Time of Harvey Milk, which has been recommended by many.
 
Drew Ott said:
The only thing I didn't really like was how it was sort of like "Gays vs. The Cops" and "Gays vs. Christians" instead of acknowledging how the often-opposing forces aren't always at war with each other or even against each other.
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Keeping in mind this was the 70s. A much more hostile time. I don't think there were many cops who claimed to be friendly to the gay community. The brutality and raids were a reality. Obviously, it's a bit different today. Cops seem pretty cool in the big cities I've lived in, at least on the surface.
 
Loved it one of his most personal films to date and I would say one his very best. also I dont like penn that much, but this movie changed alot about him for me.
 
Whenever Josh Brolin and Sean Penn had a scene together, there was a lot of head room, and often unusual framing.

Anybody have an opinion as to what effect Gus Van Sant was going for?

My wife and I think it is to suggest something "off" about their relationship and the character of Dan, but I also feel there is more to it.

Opinions?
 
I do it to diminish the scale of the characters. Putting them below the horizon has the effect of conveying a heaviness to their environment.
 
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