The High Price of Progress

From December 2008 American Cinematography

Archival footage is mixed with this film, not exactly matching, on purpose. The shot decisions made to film Milk were exquisite, the lighting and continuation of the period add to it. It was purposefully kept shot in neutral tones, to avoid a feeling of nostalgia (see my Milk review about how Van Sant keeps his actors at arms link). What I though was cool was that the shop they filmed in was the actual store font of Castro Camera. The lighting that went into the kitchen scenes, where Milk speaks into taperecoder, used the single light that was typical of this time, but crafted to give the perfect lighting.