Category Archives: Documentary

The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)

From NetFlix:

Harvey Fierstein narrates this documentary by Rob Epstein about San Francisco’s
most colorful — and unfortunately, tragic — political figure: Harvey Milk. A
staunch fighter for gay rights, Milk helped forge a presence for the city’s gay
community in city hall, becoming the first openly gay member of San Francisco’s
combative city council. But his life, along with Mayor George Moscone’s, was
cut short by infamous fellow politico Dan White.

The New York Times suggested that before watching the Hollywood ‘Milk’ it might be worthwhile viewing the actual film footage from that era. For an hour and a half you can see for yourself what those days looked like in San Francisco, especially in the Castro. You watch interviews, television newscasts, parades, protests, and above all you get to see the almost always smiling Harvey Milk. At certain points you look at Harvey Milk and see how closely Sean Penn has made himself resemble Harvey Milk. I was impressed by Mayor Mascone (also murdered).

I could see how a jury might sympathize with the young, handsome, sincere, devoted family man Dan White. But the facts show clearly how he plotted very carefully to commit two brazen and deliberate murders. The sight of an immense nighttime candlelight march in memory of Milk and in protest of the extraordinarily light sentence given to White is something you don’t forget. And remember, this isn’t a staged Hollywood extravanza, it really looked that way.

There is NO lurid film footage, no nudity in parades, nada! Because of the unusual issues at stake and footage of the dead bodies covered in sheets being carried out of the building this film is probably not for young children.

I confess I have no memory whatsoever of these events. In 1984 I was working as a software engineer at Bolt, Beranek, and Newman busily raising a family. Kathy doesn’t remember the events either. How important was it ?

Where is Dan White today ? And if this isn’t an invitation for a comment, what on earth is ?

Protagonist (2007)

From NetFlix:

Four disparate lives intertwine with surprising results in this absorbing documentary, an official selection of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. A German terrorist, a bank robber, an “ex-gay” evangelist and a martial arts student form the unlikely quartet. In her interweaving narrative, Oscar-winning filmmaker Jessica Yu explores parallels between human life and the formal dramatic structure of the Greek tragedian Euripides.

This is one strange film which features 4 talking heads telling their stories. You have to be in the mood for what is really a documentary. How did one man become a terrorist working for Carlos the Jackall and what was his salvation ? How did another become a bank robber and what turned his life around ? Why did a man become a self-destructive martial artist and how did he change ? A Greek chorus separates the stages of the lives of these men.

Into the Wild (2007)

From NetFlix:

Sean Penn directs this feature based on best-selling author Jon Krakauer’s true story of a young man who gives up everything to lead a solitary life in the wild. Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a trust-fund college graduate, abandons his safe existence to trek across the harsh yet beautiful terrain of Alaska. William Hurt and Marcia Gay Harden co-star, along with Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn and Hal Holbrook (in an Oscar-nominated role).

Because I had first read the book “Into The Wild”, I found the film a bit slow. In fact, I wish you would read the book first. There is a sort of mystery: was there some fatal mistake that McCandless made ? The book gives a very definite answer: YES, and explains just how close McCandless came to not dying. Ask yourself if the film offers the same information. Of course, this film can never have a happy ending. At least it supplies scenes that you might not have imagined while reading the book.

Among other categories, I added “documentary” because the film is historical in nature.