Sean Penn's accurate and award-winning portrayal of Harvey Milk (the first openly gay elected public figure who served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors who was assassinated by fellow commissioner Dan White in 1978) in the film Milk features symphonic soundtrack music composed by Danny Elfman and a handful of popular songs that speak to how people of conscious choice and tolerance need to live together. The pieces Elfman has composed bear a strong resemblance to that of the minimalist music of Philip Glass, at times in melancholy preludes to dramatic circumstance, and eventually victory. A reserved mood is held throughout the film, as if anticipation of these breakthrough events is tempered by the feeling that battle lines are being drawn, and there are huge obstacles to overcome under a hopeful horizon. Elfman's music is at once serene, a bit ominous, foreboding, and marginally triumphant. The popular tunes signify a need to inform, accept, nurture, and encourage. It's interesting to note that the release of this film in 2008 coincided with the controversial vote on Proposition 8, a statute banning same-sex marriage in California. Of the actual soundtrack score by Elfman, you hear the hymnal quality of "Harvey's Theme," the stark romanticism of "The Kiss," the "calm before..." waltz "Vote Passes," the sighing "Weepy Donuts," and requiem-toned "Harvey's Last Day." Unmistakable echoes via the music of Glass come out in the piano/cello waltz "Main Titles," shifting leads from instruments during "Politics Is Theater," baleful "Proposition 6," more dramatic "Gay Rights Now!," and static counterpointed phrases of "The Debates." An electric-sounding jig, dour waltz, oom-pah-pah vocal, or flute creeps in, as well as pure symphonic horizons, space music, and the finale "Postscript," buzzing with marimba and vocals more in the Steve Reich style. Included is Sly & the Family Stone's "Everyday People," the perfect inclusive anthem. The Hues Corporation's "Rock the Boat" actually says "don't rock the boat," David Bowie's glam rock icon "Queen Bitch" represents the androgynous side, while the Swingle Singers contribute a vocalized la-la-la counterpoint version of Bach's Prelude No. 7 in E flat. The campy pop piano parlor rag Hello Hello by the Sopwith Camel is also included. For those who enjoy contemporary classical orchestra music, and a short stack of retro hits from the psychedelic '60s through the disco '70s, this soundtrack is a diverse backdrop to an important gay rights film that should appeal to many people, no matter your sexual orientation. You may also want to refer to Milk's biography by Randy Shilts, The Mayor of Castro Street.
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