We know how this ends... Dan White walks into Mayor George Moscone's office, kills him, and then continues down the hall into Supervisor Harvey Milk's office and kills him.  So how does this film hold our interest (not to mention earn a 4-mug rating from this stingy critic)?  It holds our interest because all the elements of great filmmaking make an appearance.

It begins with Dustin Lance Black's compelling screenplay, based on a few short years in the life of a compelling character.

It also takes outstanding performances to being the screenplay's characters to life.  Penn is brilliant as the charismatic Milk, while Brolin (pictured) is exceptional as the ticking bomb who is Dan White.  Other performances are solid, too, especially Hirsch, Franco and Pill as Milk's political pals.  The cast is so competent and well-directed that we forget they are actors, but consider them as characters we might actually meet on Castro Street.

At the helm of all of this is director Van Sant and his team of fellow artists who have used their filmmaking skills to take us back to another time.  The setting is created in such a way that San Francisco of the '70s comes to life before our very eyes.  The way they dress, the way they speak, the interior of the camera store... everything is accurate to the tiniest detail.  Handheld shots, close-ups, razor-sharp editing are all used effectively to evoke a sense of urgency and suspense.

There is a remarkable shot near the end, showing a candlelight march reaching as far as the eye can see.  This is actual footage, in which Van Sant manages to insert several of his characters.  It is emotionally powerful.