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There are two discussions on this film.
EXECUTION OF JUSTICE
US, 1999, 98 minutes, Colour.
Tim Daly, Peter Coyote, Khalil Kain, Tyne Daly, Stephen Young, Frank Pellegrino, Amy Van Nostrand.
Directed by Leon Ichaso.
Execution of Justice is about the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978 by fellow supervisor Dan White. It occurred at the end of November 1978, only ten days after the tragedy and deaths at Jonestown. San Francisco had an atmosphere of tension, especially because of the voting earlier in the month, especially about gay rights.
At a time of tension in the city, with a popular mayor who was trying to reform changes in the city, at a time of voting, especially about gay rights, the tragedy of Jonestown, Guyana, happened? At the end of the month, one of the city supervisors went into the mayor’s office and shot him as well as the gay supervisor Harvey Milk. The man was Dan White – a white middle-class man, Catholic background, who had been elected as supervisor for his region.
This film is based on a play by Emily Mann, which used the words of the central characters. The screenplay here has been amplified by Michael Butler to include more personal sequences.
The screenplay seems at times to be scrambled with flashbacks and scenes of interrogation of White immediately after the events. However, the cumulative effect is to give some insight into the character of Dan White, his personal demons and pressures, something of the motivation for his actions. It also highlights the status of San Francisco in 1978, the gay movement, the popularity of Harvey Milk. (There have been many documentaries about Harvey Milk and his campaign for gay rights over the decades.)
There are some witnesses from San Francisco whose comments are interspersed throughout the film. Dan White was to serve only five years for the crimes – the jury, contrary to all expectations, deciding that the killings were manslaughter. Ultimately, however, in 1986 Dan White took his own life.
There was a biography of Harvey Milk, The Life and Times of Harvey Milk, in 1985, directed by Rob Epstein. However, the story of Harvey Milk was made much more prominent by Gus Van Sant’s 2008 film, Milk, with an Oscar-winning performance by Sean Penn. In that film, Josh Brolin portrayed Dan White. Some of the sequences are very similar – Milk opening with Harvey Milk writing in his journal before his death, this film ending with it. The re-creation of the background, the assassination, the issues in California and San Francisco, the aftermath. However, this film’s focus is particularly on Dan White and tries to explain his life and motivations, has flashbacks to his past, his clashes with Milk and the mayor, his personality and his short fuse, his marriage, the assassination, the interview after it, the trial?
Dan White served a shorter time in prison for manslaughter, with the twinkie defence, the defence that junk food and sugar altered the personality of people. However, after being released from jail, he committed suicide.
Timothy Daly is very successful in communicating the character and the anxieties of White. His sister, Tyne Daly, appears as his campaign manager and later critic of White. Timothy Daly’s wife, Amy van Nostrand, appears as his wife in the film. There is a very strong performance by Peter Coyote as Harvey Milk. There is also a chorus character who appears throughout the film, called Sister Boom Boom, portrayed by Khalil Kain.
The film recreates the events – and gives some insight into the gun culture of the United States, the pressures on individuals – who succumb to killing because of the availability of guns. The film is also a reminder of American social history in California, especially in the 1970s and the emergence of the homosexual lobby and gay rights.
The film was directed by Leon Ichaso, Cuban-born director of many television series. At this time he made film biographies of Jimmy Hendrix, Mohammed Ali as well as the playwright Pinero.
1.Audience knowledge of the events in San Francisco? George Moscone and his policies as mayor? City supervisor Harvey Milk and his campaigns, especially for gay rights? The work of Dan White, the assassinations? A glimpse of Californian history, San Francisco history? California in the 1970s, the emergence of the gay lobby? The voting by the citizens of San Francisco in terms of gay rights? The city of San Francisco, its financial difficulties, liberal attitudes, attempts at reform and change? The title, Dan White’s perspective on what he did? A hardworking man under pressure who collapsed and committed crimes?
2.The structure of the film, the screenplay based on the words of the central characters, amplified for personal scenes? The opening, the interviews with Dan White, the aftermath of the assassination, the flashbacks to his earlier life and career? The continual returning to the post-assassination interviews? Being played in the court? The final part of the film with the trial, its aftermath? The build-up to the shootings but not seeing them, the interrogations, the flashbacks and the portrait of White in his life, family, work, job failures, marriage, police work, fireman, campaigning to be supervisor, work as a supervisor, friendship with Harvey Milk, clashes with him, his league with big business and real estate magnates, his desperation? Building up to the screening of the shootings?
3.Timothy Daly as Dan White: a middle-class white man, privileged yet impoverished? His father as a fireman? His Catholic background – but leaving the church and his mother’s urging him to come back? His joining the police, his protest against police brutality in the precinct? His becoming a fireman and being successful – a hero rescuing mother and child? His marrying Mary Anne? His decision to run for office, his preoccupations about San Francisco, his poverty and needs? His campaign, Goldie and his letting her go, Ray and his support? His success? With Harvey Milk, at home, the photo? The change of heart? The innate homophobia? His having to give up his job, his stand, Mary Anne hardworking, the baby? The build-up of pressures, money, bills, his being sacked, letter of resignation, wanting it back? His secretary and their dislike of the mayor? Confronting him at the baseball match? Frank Falzon and his friendship? The campaign manager? His speeches, the repetition of phrases, the advice of how to stand and how to deliver? His election? His meeting with Harvey Milk, the friendship? Yet Dan White’s racism, homophobia? His worry about being a supervisor, his being asked to leave the fire department because of double employment? His wife and her hard work? His concern? The deals, the mayor asking him for support, Harvey Milk asking for support? The advice that he was given, going to the meeting with Goldie Judge, the people turning on him and his desperate defence of himself? His growing angers, resignation, wanting to take his resignation back? The newspaper reports, his secretary advising him about Milk and Moscone talking? His taking the gun, getting in the side window, talking with Moscone, not getting his job back, shooting him, reloading, confronting Milk, shooting him? Going to the church and praying, his wife? His being led away, the interrogations and his earnestness? His taking the gun, shooting, reloading, shooting Harvey Milk? The interrogation by the police, his explanations of himself? The sentence, the protests against his sentence? In jail, getting out, Mary Anne and her desperation, the three children, wanting to move to Alaska? The scene where he gassed himself in his car?
4.The trial, the people giving testimony in his favour, the police, his reputation? The interrogation about his motivation, his deliberate taking of the gun, reloading? The getting in the window? His being found guilty – after the defence, the speech about sugars, junk food, twinkies? The protests for and against? His imprisonment?
5.His release, his children, trying to work with his wife, her saying it was impossible to start over? His not being able to get a job because of his record? His killing himself?
6.How strong a portrait, for and against, his qualities, defects, his motivations, the torment of his pressures, work, belief in himself, inferiority? His prejudices?
7.The portrayal of Harvey Milk, his background, camera shop in the Castro, his campaign, failing several times, being elected? His speeches, enthusiasm? His talking with Dan, the deals, the meetings? Dan turning against him? Harvey’s highlighting that he was spoiling the votes? The confiding into his journal? His death? The values that he stood for? His later influence?
8.The introduction of Sister Boom Boom as a chorus, for gay rights? The three testimony-givers, their backgrounds, their memories, their understanding of San Francisco at the time, the issues, gay rights? The memory of Harvey Milk?
9.Goldie Judge, her role in politics, her advice to Dan White, listening to him, the meeting where he was condemned by the people?
10.The mayor, his policies, his concern about finances, wanting Harvey to support him? The loss of the vote? The mayor, genial, liberal, trying to reform the city, meeting people, getting Dan’s support – and Dan going against him, the baseball match? The final confrontation and his being shot? Diane Feinstein – her leadership of the board, relationship with the mayor, with Dan? Her subsequent history as Mayor of San Francisco – and her work in the American Congress?
11.Mary Ann White, her love for Dan, the courting, her understanding his moods, the experience of the honeymoon in Ireland, her hard work at home, at the trial, urging his mother to go? Her testimony and breakdown? Her exasperation after his being freed?
12.The various friends, the police, O’ Connor and his friendship but brutality? The authorities asking Dan White not to report him? The friendship with Frank Falzon over the years, the testimony? The campaign organiser? The impact of the testimonials – the different perspectives on Dan White, his character, his work, his attitude towards Harvey Milk?
13.The picture of San Francisco in the 1970s, the background of Jonestown and the massacre, civil rights and gay issues, votes? The picture of the rallies? The grief at Harvey Milk’s assassination, the candlelight parade?
14.The value of this kind of film, portraying historical characters and reconstructing events?
EXECUTION OF JUSTICE
US, 1999, 108 minutes, Colour.
Timothy Daly, Peter Coyote, Tyne Daly, Stephen Young, Amy van Nostrand, Khalil Kain.
Directed by Leon Ichaso.
Execution of Justice is based on actual events, taking place in San Francisco in November 1978. At a time of tension in the city, with a popular mayor who was trying to reform changes in the city, at a time of voting, especially about gay rights, the tragedy of Jonestown, Guyana, happened? At the end of the month, one of the city supervisors went into the mayor’s office and shot him as well as the gay supervisor Harvey Milk. The man was Dan White – a white middle-class man, Catholic background, who had been elected as supervisor for his region.
The film is based on a play by Emily Mann. The screenplay seems at times to be scrambled with flashbacks and scenes of interrogation of White immediately after the events. However, the cumulative effect is to give some insight into the character of Dan White, his personal demons and pressures, something of the motivation for his actions. It also highlights the status of San Francisco in 1978, the gay movement, the popularity of Harvey Milk. (There have been many documentaries about Harvey Milk and his campaign for gay rights over the decades.)
There are some witnesses from San Francisco whose comments are interspersed throughout the film. Dan White was to serve only five years for the crimes – the jury, contrary to all expectations, deciding that the killings were manslaughter. Ultimately, however, in 1986 Dan White took his own life.
Timothy Daly is very successful in communicating the character and the anxieties of White. His sister, Tyne Daly, appears as his campaign manager and later critic of White. Timothy Daly’s wife, Amy van Nostrand, appears as his wife in the film. There is a very strong performance by Peter Coyote as Harvey Milk. There is also a chorus character who appears throughout the film, called Sister Boom Boom, portrayed by Khalil Kain.
The film recreates the events – and gives some insight into the gun culture of the United States, the pressures on individuals – who succumb to killing because of the availability of guns. The film is also a reminder of American social history in California, especially in the 1970s and the emergence of the homosexual lobby and gay rights.
1.The film based on actual characters and events? For those who experience them? For those for whom the events are new?
2.A glimpse of Californian history, San Francisco history? California in the 1970s, the emergence of the gay lobby? The voting by the citizens of San Francisco in terms of gay rights? The city of San Francisco, its financial difficulties, liberal attitudes, attempts at reform and change?
3.The title, Dan White’s perspective on what he did? A hardworking man under pressure who collapsed and committed crimes?
4.The structure of the film: the build-up to the shootings but not seeing them, the interrogations, the flashbacks and the portrait of White in his life, family, work, job failures, marriage, police work, fireman, campaigning to be supervisor, work as a supervisor, friendship with Harvey Milk, clashes with him, his league with big business and real estate magnates, his desperation? Building up to the screening of the shootings? The court case? The aftermath?
5.Timothy Daly as Dan White: a middle-class white man, privileged yet impoverished? His father as a fireman? His Catholic background – but leaving the church and his mother’s urging him to come back? His joining the police, his protest against police brutality in the precinct? His becoming a fireman and being successful – a hero rescuing mother and child? His marrying Mary Anne? His decision to run for office, his preoccupations about San Francisco, his poverty and needs? His campaign, Goldie and his letting her go, Ray and his support? His success? With Harvey Milk, at home, the photo? The change of heart? The innate homophobia? His having to give up his job, his stand, Mary Anne hardworking, the baby? The build-up of pressures, money, bills, his being sacked, letter of resignation, wanting it back? His secretary and their dislike of the mayor? Confronting him at the baseball match? His taking the gun, shooting, reloading, shooting Harvey Milk? The interrogation by the police, his explanations of himself? The sentence, the protests against his sentence? In jail, getting out, Mary Anne and her desperation, the three children, wanting to move to Alaska? The scene where he gassed himself in his car?
6.Harvey Milk, the scenes of the campaign, his speeches, his support, election? Politically savvy? Civil rights for gays? His interest in the city at large? The confrontations with Dan, the votes, the arguments at the board meetings? The aftermath and his comments about the hypothesis of his being assassinated?
7.Mary Anne, the Catholic schoolteacher, in love with Dan, the marriage, the children, supportive in the court, her testimony and tears, urging his mother to the court? The hard work, the exasperation after his release?
8.Goldie, campaigns for supervisors, her questioning of Dan, his sacking her, his going to the group protesting his votes against their wishes?
9.Sister Boom Boom – the chorus character, her confrontational attitudes, gay rights?
10.The mayor, genial, liberal, trying to reform the city, meeting people, getting Dan’s support – and Dan going against him, the baseball match? The final confrontation and his being shot?
11.Dianne Feinstein – her leadership of the board, relationship with the mayor, with Dan? Her subsequent history as Mayor of San Francisco – and her work in the American Congress?
12.The impact of the testimonials – the different perspectives on Dan White, his character, his work, his attitude towards Harvey Milk?
13.An interesting television movie – and a recapitulation of significant events in California in the 70s?