How Milk was the Messiah.

Harvey Milk was the first openly gay politicians in the U.S. - 30 years ago, he was shot. Gus Van Sant has a gay martyr now a cinematic monument set, perfect for the zeitgeist of the Obama-era suits. And nominated for eight Oscars is.

 

When one turns ever the right movie at the right time? Gus Van Sant looks good from that morning in his cozy hotel in the heart of Berlin. On the eve of Klaus Wowereit, he has shaken hands. The Governing Mayor of Berlin was at the Berlinale premiere of Van Sant film "Milk" appeared. "Unfortunately, he had not much time, but he seems a nice guy to be," says the director, and smiles shyly.

Perhaps Wowereit not in office, there would have been the man not given by the Van Sant film: Harvey Milk, the first openly homosexual politicians, the public office in the United States gained - and 30 years ago by a conservative colleague was shot .

"Milk," said the simple title, is nominated for eight Oscars, including best film, for best screenplay, best actor and best director. Two years after "Brokeback Mountain," the story of two gay cowboys, almost to the best film would have been chosen, is again a favorite topic of homosexual for the main prize, the Hollywood has awarded. And should "Milk" on the coming Sunday in discipline against the King "Benjamin Button" or "Slumdog Millionaire" lose, it could still Van Sant directed the Oscar-get. What he is from the Oscar-night's sleep? "Well, I guess we are at least four hours rumsitzen."

Gus Van Sant is relaxed. And why not? In Berlin, accompanied him, the young screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, the 56-year-olds obviously not only much of his media shyness is normal, but also is responsible for ensuring that Harvey Milk story about the movie was.

Black, born 1974, saw Rob Epstein's 1984 shot, award-winning documentary about Milk assassination and wanted to learn more about the unusual man know from the insurance agent for politicians and civil rights, and after his death to the martyrs of the gay movement. He began to deal with the former companions to take Milke, won their confidence and wrote a screenplay.

About friends and acquaintances, but not coincidentally, the script came into the hands of Van Sants, which is already the beginning of the nineties intensely with Harvey Milk had employed: "At that time there was a screenplay, based on the book" The Mayor of Castro Street " by Randy Shilts was based, and directed by Oliver Stone wanted to lead. " But the "JFK" director and recommended jumped from the then still emerging Van Sant, with "My Own Private Idaho" and "Drugstore Cowboy" just started in Hollywood indie scene to earn money.

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Even Van Sant was not long in the project, but withdrew, in order shortly after his greatest commercial success to rotate: "Good Will Hunting" and "Finding Forrester". From 2000, since the mid-eighties living openly gay director, however, the experimental indie cinema and turned with "Elephant" a reflection on the oppressive high school massacre at Columbine.

In "Last Days", he recapitulated - purely fictional - the last days of rock musician Kurt Cobain before his suicide. In "Paranoid Park" he told the story of a teenager who accidentally caused the death of a man is responsible. The shadow of mortality is a subject that is identified by many of his recent films draws. So marked "Milk" While Gus Van Sant returns to the classic narrative cinema, the hidden leitmotif, the chronicle of a death, but he remains faithful.

Milk Because history is told from beyond the grave. The real Harvey Milk had tapes of the last thoughts and wishes to leave in the event that he was assassinated would fall. Van Sant film begins, like Milk, played by Sean Penn, discusses these bands. Only then rolls the fascinating story of the dazzling charismatic gradually on.

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Black it was "a personal approach to find" to Milk story not of external circumstances, but from his character out to tell. Consequently, increases in the film the life story of Milk with a flirtation scene between the then still employed as a representative of Harvey and an attractive young man (James Franco). It's the early Seventies, and the gay life is socially stigmatized, but still free from AIDS. After a few verbal repartee, the two arm in arm together going in Milk apartment. The next scene shows the two in bed, sex is over, but the affection remains. Harvey's birthday, he is 40 and there is a small cake. The younger, he says Scott, pulls him because of his age, then kiss the two men tenderly.