If someone tried picking you up in a grimy subway stairwell today, I’m sure the majority of people would think ‘oh my god, creep!’ This however, is exactly what is depicted in the beginning of the movie Milk between Harvey Milk and Scott Smith – a rather bold move by writer Dustin Lance Black, who concocted the chance meeting through pure fiction. While Milk is quintessentially a biopic/drama based loosely on Harvey Milk and his political career, it simultaneously highlights the foundations of his political and personal endeavours through his relationships and peers. It is for this reason that Milk is so fascinating to watch, particularly for those who aren’t usually into watching political dramas!

For a movie that is focussed on a whole lot of political affairs, it is the genius quick cutting of one scene to another, combined with the archival and documentary style footage that keeps interest until the end; underscoring just how radical and new age Milk’s vision and influence was back in the 70’s.  The screenplay is so well crafted, and the editing so seamless, it not only brings to light how the perception of homosexuality has changed over the past few decades, but also emphasizes the utilization of the many different types of old and new media in the script thanks to the impressively stylised directing style employed by Gus Van Sent.

In an era in which homosexuals were treated as sub-human, watching Milk is inherently thought provoking in observing how gay rights have evolved to present day. Instigating a massive gay rights movement in the heart of San Francisco, Harvey Milk clearly brought the issue and the gays into the public eye with the hopes of everyone being seen as equal human beings with equal rights. Similarly, the film Milk was released in concurrence to California’s 2008 referendum on gay marriage, otherwise known as Prop 8. The message of hope, unity and equality is heard audibly through this film’s tightly written screenplay and cast of A-grade actors, undoubtedly inspiring many voters to think over the tremendous decision of allowing gays to officially get married. Milk’s relevancy to today’s politics is powerful in showing the determination of Harvey and his team – in a script grounded by documentary like archival footage, it is inspirational in delivering the message of fighting for what you believe in. Although it is sometimes dragged down by a milieu of over the top dramatization and excessive use of footage, the actors make the most of the wonderfully inspired script, which in turn highlights the importance of Milk’s actions at the time.

Although in typical biopic style fashion a narrator is used in the form of Milk recording his own will before his assassination, the combinations of brilliant directing, scriptwriting and editing makes for a powerful political film. Milk’s various relationships portrayed in the film also make up the bulk of the film’s grounding, particularly between lover, Scott Smith. Through the tumultuous political affairs of his activism, then his political career within the Californian government, the focus on his life as a homosexual man is reiterated on all angles – from his sexual encounters to the berating and death threats he receives from anonymous hate mongers.

Sean Penn is utterly convincing as Harvey Milk, and it is undoubtedly the strength of his performance that allows audiences to take the issue and the events portrayed in both a light hearted but thoughtful way. His speeches to the crowds are often powerful and passionate, his debate with his opposition persuasive. Indeed, Penn’s portrayal of Milk just may be one of his career bests, his portrayal of a gay man compelling and not at all awkward. The chemistry between Penn and James Franco, who plays his lover/ex Scott Smith is also emphatic in celebrating the joy and partnership between the two individuals. Their relationship is key in focussing on the affects of politics on Milk, as well as the consequences and downfalls he went through to achieve his dream of equality. It is certainly admirable in seeing just how much passion he had for his vision, especially since almost every relationship he had ended in disaster because of it.

The use of archival and dated footage is also another aspect of Milk that brings the drama and events back to reality. The cross cutting between the drama played out between Milk and his allies and enemies, alongside the TV reports and extra footage of the real life events is telling in portraying the massive cultural change occurring in the 70’s, as well as the brutality of living as a gay person in that time. Although there is not a lot of female representation in the movie asides from Milk’s assistant Anne Kronenberg (Alison Pill), the ramifications of his actions serves to exemplify how important the gay rights movement is now than ever before.

Almost 40 years down the track and gay rights still seem to be at the losing end of the spectrum, despite the efforts of gay icon Harvey Milk. If the ending of the film is anything to go by, it is without a doubt an issue entrenched in everyday lives, and everyday times. The sacrifices Milk made for the purpose of the movement is simply thought provoking when one looks at how much he has done politically. While the movement still seems to have a while to go yet, Gus Van Sent has done a spectacular job at  recreating Milk’s life and vision on screen – delivering a powerful message of hope and peace in the process.

There’s a fine line between reality and propaganda, especially when it comes to sensitive topics like war and being in the military. The amount of violence, guns and gore may sell more tickets, but at the end of the day, producing a movie that plain and simply tells a story is undoubtedly challenging. Kathryn Bigelow has done a commendable job in directing The Hurt Locker however, by keeping the story open for interpretation in this gritty, awe-inspiring movie focussing on a group of bomb techs situated in Iraq.

In the 38 days that is portrayed, or the two and a half hour long run time (!), an immense amount of anticipation, intense violence and lonely desert visuals highlight the complexities, consequences and the effects of war, particularly on the soldiers and their relationships with their peers and families back home. The focus on one man’s journey at his station in Iraq is particularly affecting in portraying how detached the majority of people are to the violence and life and death situations in Iraq, which really helps to emphasize the realities of war in a confronting and brutal way.

Opening with a powerful quote taken from war journalist Chris Hedges book ‘War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning’, the line: “The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug,” is something that is consistently referenced throughout the movie through the experiences of chief bomb tech William James (Jeremy Renner). It is through his eyes that the how and why are explained of the various tactics and reasoning used by men in the front line in Iraq, which altogether underscores the enormous amount of stress, consequences and appeals of working in the military in a location as unstable as Iraq.

In a shaky, handheld cam style, The Hurt Locker starts off with a memorable opening scene with Guy Pearce portraying Sergeant Thompson as the team leader in detonating bombs in Iraq. After a fatal explosion in an attempt to detonate an IED, Sergeant William James is brought in to replace him, and thus the documentation of his various encounters in Iraq as a bomb detonator begins.

In a confronting and often nauseating journey through the life of a military officer in Iraq, the masterful work with the zooms, focuses and cross cutting arguably is the chief reason why this movie is so powerful in delivering the emotion and tension depicted in each scene. It is not the cinematography alone however, but the combination of fantastic directing style, resourceful use of sound effects to relay the action and suspense experienced in the battlefield, and editing of the clips from different angles and focus that brings the audience into the reality of war and the experience at being at the brink of life and death every day.

The outcomes of this film serves only to highlight the overall purpose of portraying the experiences of William James – that is to question the reasons for the violence and destruction in Iraq, and to empathize with the soldiers who have to deal with the life and death situations on a daily basis. Despite this, the opening quote is extremely poignant in grounding the film and providing a backdrop for the sequence of events, which altogether clarifies just why and how soldiers can maintain the lifestyle that is portrayed.

At times, the movie is very drawn out, particularly with the sniper scene in the desert, though this is often overshadowed by the extremely creative use of camera angles to emphasize the extreme isolation and danger in the open desert. It is without a doubt the skill of Bigelow however, that drives this film to a powerful and affecting climax.

The last half an hour or so are an intense rollercoaster ride of emotion, action, suspense, boredom…you have to wonder how these men and women cope with the after effects of being in a combat situation like Iraq for a months on end. It is the quality of the acting and the capture of each soldier’s emotions on screen that cements this movie as one of the most powerfully thought provoking movies in recent years focussing on the war in Iraq and its effects on society and the soldiers themselves.

While the ending leaves a lot open to imagination and possibilities, the film achieves the main aim in perceiving and underlining Hedge’s quote. The fact that war can be seen as a drug, and adrenaline can become an addiction is important to note when viewing this movie, for it is not just the want of being a hero for James, but the want to experience that rush of teetering on the edge of death in every scenario. Questionable, right?!

The Hurt Locker is an overall compelling movie centering around the exploits of what exactly is happening in Iraq, and it is undoubtedly the use of various camera angles, conventions and sound effects that makes this movie as powerful as it is. Bigelow has made a war movie which not only captures the attention and scrutiny of critics and viewers alike, she has also brought the realities of war straight out of Iraq into the comfort of a theatre – undoubtedly provoking many to think about their current stance on the war and the consequences of the hostilities on families and soldiers.

After winning 6 Oscars this year for its cinematic brilliance, it is not hard to see why this movie has been so well praised. If only for its open ending and alternate interpretations of James’ actions during his time in the bomb squad does the message of the movie ring clear: violence is bloody and war is a cycle which will never end, but the sad truth remains that people like James will continue to be needed and utilized in questionable tactics such as America’s invasion of Iraq.

The rather sensitive topic of the Romanian gypsies in Europe has long been a topic that has been pushed under the carpet – an issue far out of sight and one that is seemingly passed over or simply ignored in general. Sure, there was the Nazi holocaust…the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki…but gypsies? In an intriguing and absorbing story about the clash of distinctly different cultures and the meaning of ‘civilization’, French film director Tony Gatlif has stepped up to put forward a harrowing portrayal of the gypsy life during the turn of World War II in the racially and politically charged film, Korkoro.

It is without a doubt Gatlif’s heritage that has inspired him to produce such a film – he has after all already made more than ten movies focused on the Romanian Gypsy culture, and his resolve to underscore the reality of the gypsies together with his own descent has altogether empowered his filmmaking and motive for exposing the gypsy life and history. His determination to unveil the racial and social prejudice that occurred both in the past and today serves to emphasize the frightening reality Korkoro emanates on screen: it claims to be based on true events, which further highlights the extraordinary conflict the gypsies faced during the war, as well as the contradictions within the government and the people in society at the time. Korkoro really does seem to embody everything the gypsy culture stands for however, from the beat infused background music and the beautiful natural setting down to the actions of the characters and the tragic and often inevitable turn of events in the film.

In a memorable opening scene, barbed wire of a gypsy camp in France moves along to a poignant piano solo, and then cuts to the lively action and travelling of a gypsy clan in a leafy forest. Claude (Mathias La Liberté), an adorable young boy begins following the clan, and soon they take him under their wing and begin calling him Chorchoro (or pauper). They travel into France for the grape harvest, and it is then they realize there are new laws that forbid them to be nomadic.

However, they find some friends with Ms. Lundi (Marie-Josée Croze), the local schoolteacher, and Theodore (Marc Lavoine), the town mayor, in which both attempt to gently persuade the gypsies to assimilate with the rest of the town. This is seemingly made impossible by their way of life though, as is emphasized through their different culture, language and rituals.

Theodore adopts Claude when he realizes he is an orphan, and Miss Lundi tries to get the gypsy children to attend the school (where in a hilarious exchange, is asked to pay for the kids’ education by the adult gypsies). These attempts to bring the gypsies into normal civilization are in vain despite Miss Lundi and Theodore’s efforts, and soon the gypsy clan find themselves imprisoned in a cramped and barbaric gypsy camp.

Theodore signs over his house to them so they can be released, and so they are set “free”, for a while at least. Heritage or culture can never be erased however, and it is only inevitable that the gypsies’ stay in regular society is short lived before they attempt to escape into the wilderness, and back into their nomadic way of life.

Gatlif portrays the different sides of regular civilization and the gypsy culture extremely well in Korkoro, and it is his portrayal of both sides of the issue that significantly emphasizes the plight of the gypsies in that time. The racial prejudice is not only confronting and thought provoking, the treatment of the gypsies is often vicious, and altogether inhumane. The distinctions between the gypsy culture and regular society is also often made, effectively emphasizing how hard it is to persude someone to drop their heritage and start over entirely as a new being in modern society.

While the gypsies are often seen praying to their God and chanting and praying, their way of life infinitely sets them apart from the rest of society. In one scene, one of the gypsies is bitten by a horse, which results in them dressing the wound with cow dung and one egg. In another, a town official visits them where they pull out one sole wooden chair for him to sit on, and bring out one glass in which they pour him some water. The stark contrast between the official and the rest of the gypsies are evident in signifying just how different the two cultures are, and how hard it is to change the gypsies’ way of life when there is so much history and culture behind the people.

The background music makes up an important part in emphasizing the action and embedded culture of the gypsies, with everything beating in tune from the clack of the horses hooves to the patter of running feet, to the banging of pots and pans, to the squeaky movement of the wheels on the carts. The synchronization of the cacophony of their movements really brings together the gypsies and their relationship with the earth and nature, and really highlights their nomadic way of life. The grooves are so infectious in fact that you can almost imagine you’re there with them, tapping your feet along to Taloche’s impressive violin skills.

That said, Taloche (James Thiérrée) completely steals the show as a gypsy desperately attempting to cling on to his way of life and his origin. Every single scene he is in just emphasizes how much of the gypsy culture was ingrained in him, and his persistence at staying true to himself and his heritage is what really set him apart from the rest of his family.

Although there are various implications that comes with persuading the gypsies to ditch their way of life in favour of modern day technology and vocations, the distinct contrasts made in Korkoro resolutely highlight the pros and cons of modernity imposing on the gypsy culture. At times it seems almost impossible for there to ever be a true conciliation between modern society and the gypsies, for their culture is one that is incredibly hard to erase. In a dilemma similar to the plight of the Aboriginals in Australia, it is an issue which raises a series of questions concerning civility and culture, the contradictions of laws, and the meaning of freedom.

While there is certainly room for more character development in Korkoro, especially the relationship between Claude and Taloche, and Miss Lundi and Theodore, the film thoroughly achieves what it sets out to do: that is, to recreate the story of one gypsy family and their various encounters (good and bad) with modernity and war in France. The setting of the gypsy’s pursuits for freedom in a country entangled in war only suggests the trivilaity of it all, and ironically poses the question we have all asked for centuries: can’t we all just get along?

Coming from a director who has brought us such cinematic classics including Hollow Man, RoboCop and Basic Instinct (take from this statement what you will…), viewing Black Book is like viewing a whole other dimension through Paul Verhoeven’s eyes. Not only is this film entirely in Dutch, the 2 hour long marathon of a film seems to fit so much action into its timeline, it hardly even feels long at all! It does however contain some elements of his trademark, and although there are several unrealistic and eyebrow-raising scenes, the content and entertainment value really sets this apart from other World War II films.

Released in 2006, it was at the time, the most expensive Dutch production and also one of the most praised movies in the public and critics alike. For those who hate viewing movies with subs, beware, for this movie was not dubbed in English! It is not hard to see why this film has been one of the more successful World War II movies though – amongst the thousands of others that have been made, I think it’s safe to say this film really has the right amount of action, romance and plot twists to keep it chugging along nicely through to the end.

With a plot similar to that of Lust, Caution, Black Book begins with a flashback to main character Rachel, who is teaching at a school somewhere in Israel. On a chance occasion, she meets a former acquaintance, Ronnie, who she knew when she was a spy during World War II. The two strike a conversation, and after a brief exchange, Rachel reminisces about how she became an orphan in a German ambush, and how she became a spy for the underground resistance against the Nazis.

Through many often unrealistic and exaggerated turns of events, Rachel discovers others who are in the same position as her and quickly becomes a secret spy for the resistance. Armed with a bottle of peroxide, Rachel becomes Ellis de Vries – a smart and beautiful faux German who eventually infiltrates the local SS office as a secretary. Her mission? To seduce the commander Ludwig Muntze, and to obtain inside information so the resistance can break several members of their clan free from the evil clutches of the SS prison. Rachel has an ulterior motive however – she is determined to find out who tipped off the ambush that killed all of her family, and she wants them DEAD.

Rachel of course, falls in love with Muntze during her secret spy duties, and although he does indicate he knows she is in fact Jewish through her obviously bad dye job, he keeps it on the downlow because it seems he too, has fallen in love with her. Rachel also meets Ronnie through Muntze, who she learns is also an American spy, acting as a complete sex crazed airhead who teases just about every lad in the SS to obtain information!

When Rachel finds out the mole that killed her family and tips off the Germans, members of the resistance kidnap him and in a scuffle accidentally kill him. This sets off a chain of extraordinary events that eventually leads to a death penalty for Muntze, and Ellis in a prison where she is humiliated and tortured. It is not just the tragic separation of the two lovers that is the main crux of the story, but the plot twist at the end that will leave viewers confused and perhaps even slightly shocked.

Black Book may have a considerably convoluted storyline and lots of gratuitous violence and nudity, but it is indeed a film that both entertains and makes several points about World War II in general. Carice Van Houten is simply stunning as Rachel, and Thom Hoffman acts superbly as a sneaky, villainous leader of the resistance.

One of the most notable aspects of this film is just how incredibly unrealistic it actually is though – you do have to just let the film do the talking and suspend your disbelief for ~2 hours! While the ambush at the start was quite extreme and fairly plausible, the plot twists including the killing of the Jew spy in broad daylight and Rachel and Muntze’s break out of prison just adds to the overall over exaggeration of this movie. It does not by any means take itself too seriously, which is perhaps why this film is so enjoyable as a whole.

While its not the most insightful World War II thriller, nor is it the most thought provoking, Black Book does raise some questions as to what is considered right or wrong during times of war. With Rachel’s constant conflictions within herself over her loyalties to her family, the resistance and her love for Muntze, Verhoeven does an impressive job of handling Rachel’s choices and portraying them in a way which emphasizes how hard it is to judge each aspect of the war.

Noted for its big budget, Black Book’s cinematography is also visually stunning: each scene is filled with different elements which really draws you into what is happening, and what each character is saying. In particular, the shot style and lighting of the extravagant gala held by the SS near the end of the film really highlights the tone and foreshadowing of the rest of the movie, as it is the penultimate point where Rachel and Muntze meet up one last time before they separate…forever. The use of long shots is particularly useful in highlighting the beauty of the Dutch countryside, and the ravages of war against the greenery, which I thought was a nice touch in the film especially at the end scene.

The music in this film is also another feature that enables the viewer to fully appreciate the turn of events and constant action. This movie may be a far cry from the likes of Total Recall or Basic Instinct but the rapid car chase that leads to the resistance members being arrested, and the shootout ambush at the start really lends itself to the awesome directing skills of Paul Verhoeven.

Overall, Black Book is one long but entertaining war movie that will not disappoint. It is a complete change from Verhoeven whose other credits may raise a few questions as to how he can be so hit/miss with his ventures, but Black Book really is worth checking out, if not for the charming love story between Rachel and Muntze. People may slam Verhoeven especially for the excess and often unnecessary nudity in the film, but he has two excuses.

One: it’s a foreign language film.

Two:  This film is all about over exaggeration.

Why not go all out and produce something that is not just about the war, but also about a character, and her journey through the war as a spy? Black Book is nowhere near as entertaining as Inglourious Basterds, nor is it as focused on the brutalities of war like Band of Brothers, but it surely is one epic movie that has just the right amount of everything which will keep most viewers in their chair and wondering whatever will happen next!