Not by design and more by accident, the Grumpy Vegan has just watched three biopic-ish films in almost as many days. Each one focused on one man who could rightly be called a revolutionary by the lives they lived although they may not have claimed that mantle themselves. Each film was very different in its approach. Each one is worth watching for different reasons. They are Che: Part One, Milk and Derek.
Che: Part One dramatized the life of Che Guevara and his involvement in the Castro-led Cuban revolution up to their arrival in Havana. Milk depicted the life of Harvey Milk, the fist openly out gay man elected to public office in the US, who was assassinated along with the mayor of San Francisco. Derek was essentially a bio-obituary of the artist and film maker Derek Jarman in which he is featured describing his life.
The contrast between Guevara, who was straight and apparently unsympathetic if not hostile toward gays, and Milk and Jarman, who were out gay men and confronted homophobia, could not be more pointed. All three challenged oppression.
The question that must be asked is this: Is it truly a revolution when it denies and empowers the exploitation of others?
