It would be easy to knock Steven Spielberg's career path, going from fun action-adventure films to historical dramas, but The Post actually accentuate's his roots in surprising ways. With Lincoln, he attempted to make the mundane passing of a bill exciting, seeing mixed results. In his latest film, Spielberg is actually successful in making the mere printing of a newspaper feel dramatic and exciting. This, in large part, due to editing and sound design, but those are tools he has been utilizing well for ages.
Top-tier acting talent is front and center of the period piece, with Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep as the headliners. However, it would be a mistake to ignore the contributions made by the other actors with much less screen time. Bob Odenkirk, Bradley Whitford, Tracy Letts, David Cross, Carrie Coon, and Michael Stuhlbarg all excel given their limited appearances. (It's a big time of year for Stuhlbarg, who was excellent in The Shape of Water, Call Me By Your Name, and The Post, all currently in theaters and getting Oscar buzz, and yet he has received no attention!) Bruce Greenwood stands out as a supporting actor for his portrayal of Robert McNamara. Still, despite the huge cast - including some recognizable David Simon players like Stark Sands and Deirdre Joy - it really is the Hanks/Streep show, and largely, their chops are on full display.
Centered around Daniel Ellsberg release of the Pentagon Papers - a study conducted by Secretary McNamara examining the missteps of the Vietnam War - it plays a bit like previous Oscar darling, Spotlight. We follow reporters as they track down possible leads and try to gather sources. The goal is to out-scoop the New York Times, their more successful and popular rival. Along the way, they are met with constant threats from the government and additional road blocks. What makes The Post a bit different is that it tackles other elements of the story as well. Streep plays Kay Graham, the majority owner of the Washington Post and the only woman in those board meetings. She struggles with the desire to protect the paper's (and, by extension, her father's) legacy, what is best for the employees who would benefit from a sale of the paper, and the journalistic responsibilities as a newspaper. Where Tom Hanks's Ben Bradlee is only focused on publishing the story, and this a more simplistic, Graham has a much, much larger issues to balance.
With the swarm of men around her to tell her what to do, Graham is constantly being pulled every which way. Bradlee jumps down her throat for possibly passing on the story because of her relationship with McNamara, feeling as though she is trying to protect a friend. Arthur Parsons (Whitford) is constantly focused on the reputation of the paper amid a large public sale, recognizing that leaking government secrets and engaging in a legal battle would harm the company's value and cause investors to pull out. Fritz (Letts) is similarly advising her about the best course of business action, but is one of the few men around to recognize it is her paper and her decision. He's, perhaps, the only adviser who advises, and then respects her decision.
As tiring as it might be to constantly see Streep at the Oscars, we see yet again that is with good reason. She is believably conflicted, and even her moment of empowerment feels grounded. While dictating her decision to a furious board, she still appears to hold anxiety about voicing her opinion in this male-dominated room. She still puts her foot down, yes, and that moment is earned through her compelling acting. That she appears to be forcing herself to speak up, despite her feelings of insecurity, makes that moment even more significant.
Of course, it is hard to ignore the meta-narrative of the film. Unlike Spotlight, or even previous Spielberg historical dramas like Bridge of Spies, Lincoln, or War Horse, The Post resonates primarily because of its timely release. In an age with an authoritarian President constantly attacking the very concept of the free press, Spielberg deliberately chooses to explore another time not that long ago in which a similar thing occurred. The biggest "heroic moment" of the film is at the end when the staff at the Post receive a package of several other prominent newspapers around the country publishing the same Pentagon Papers in solidarity, after the government threatens to shut down any organization doing so.
While the film is ultimately about a few timely concepts - the advancement of women into traditionally male industries, the responsibility of the press, and the corruption of American government throughout the years - the biggest note it wants to push is the idea that an attack on one freedom is an attack on all. Bradlee himself tries to sell Graham on the notion that this is about more than just out-selling the Times. He constantly pushes the narrative that this is a fight for the First Amendment, and for the basic idea of the free press and constitutional rights at large.
As it stands, it's hard to imagine anyone leaning to the right at this moment in time will appreciate any aspect of the film. They will very likely chide it as just "liberal propaganda," reinforced when we get the progressive speeches as the Academy Awards. Still, the real life story was one that shook America to its core, and the film itself is pretty solid, even if a little slow at times. It does, on occasion, get a little preachy, but given the current political climate, it probably isn't a bad idea to hit people over the head with history.
REDUCTIVE RATING: It's Fine.
No comments:
Post a Comment