Showdown: best picture of the year: 'Milk'

By Eric Silverman

Within the first 10 minutes of "Milk," it is clear that Gus Van Sant has become a more mature director since "Good Will Hunting."

Throughout the film, Van Sant is playful with the camera, but still maintains a passionate, gritty and thoughtful lens to portray the final seven years of Harvey Milk's life. Meanwhile, Van Sant shapes the film in such a way that the energy and passion of San Francisco's first gay rights movement is captured with beautiful detail and respect.

This is thoughtfully done in a way that resonates an extremely timely message of equal rights that is still relevant today after the passing of California's Proposition 8. Sean Penn's portrayal of Milk is without a doubt the best performance of the year and of Penn's impressive career. As Milk, Penn manages to capture the spirit and energy of the legendary activist, and completely immerses himself in the role, which is not an easy task when attempting to portray such an influential person's life within a two-hour film.

Known for putting himself fully into a role, Penn does not disappoint. As Milk, he is fearless, and this role puts him on the level of one of the greatest actors of the past decade.

Next to Penn is the surprisingly impressive portrayal of Penn's lover Scott Smith by James Franco. This is clearly a giant leap forward for Franco, and he has shown himself worthy of taking on more serious and respected roles. As expected, Josh Brolin gives a great performance as Milk's killer Dan White and provides the perfect contrast to Penn's role.

"Milk" is, without a doubt, deserving of the best picture award. It draws strong emotion from its entire audience and reflects on Milk's incredible story with a message of equal rights and acceptance. It is the film we need in today's world, and a perfect tribute to this incredible activist.

Eric Silverman is a junior computer engineering major.