A film as real as the news it reports.
When screenwriters Liz Hannah and Josh Singer sat down to write the screenplay for Steven Spielberg’s The Post back in early fall of 2016, the two wrote it with the very real belief that Hillary Clinton would be elected the first female president of the United States. With that in mind, the pair crafted a film dealing greatly with the struggle of gender equality in the workforce as seen during the 1970s. At the center of their film was a greatly-written female character facing not only prejudice by the men who served under her, but also a crippling self-doubt which was squarely at odds with the fierce determination she possessed. Cut to early 2017 when the cameras began rolling in a new era where terms such as “fake news” and “covfefe” had come to dominate daily life. Suddenly The Post had to become a different movie, one where the vital function of freedom of the press had to be stressed, perhaps now more than ever before. The result is a film which manages to work on both levels, while also providing a sense of Frank Capra inspiration in the process thanks to its director’s enduring touch.
The Post chronicles the monumental series of events concerning the infamous pentagon papers, a large collection of documents which detailed the government’s deception regarding the Vietnam war for more than three decades. The film follows Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) as he and his team of reporters uncover the earth-shattering papers and the heavy choice faced by the Post’s publisher Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep) on whether or not to make them public.
Currently Spielberg looks to be switching back and forth between entertaining family fare (The BFG and the upcoming Ready Player One) and more serious adult efforts (Bridge of Spies), seeming especially eager to show his versatility as a director; as if he needed to anymore. However The Post shows that the legendary filmmaker still has that unmatched ability to spin the kind of yarn which draws audiences in through a sense of curiosity, wonder, and above all, respect for the story he’s telling. The director fills The Post with many of his now-trademark angles as well as a carefully-measured pacing, both of which feel as fresh and alive as ever. Likewise the John Williams score gives The Post a sense of gravitas and an underlying suspense necessary for a film set in this specific world. Spielberg delights in romanticizing what it means to write for a newspaper, the spirit and the hunger it elicits from those who choose to belong to that world and the complete devotion of which it is totally deserving. This in no way means that the director shortchanges the importance of his film’s subject or the very real conflict faced by its characters. Instead, he interweaves those elements with both awe and amazement, elevating the overall experience and gloriously lifting up the movie’s essence in the process.
The Post succeeds in its mission of capturing a moment in history when the image and importance of journalism was thrust into the national spotlight and forever changed. Spielberg’s film takes enough steps in the right direction that it essentially re-defines the term “freedom of the press,” exploring meaning behind it; specifically, the responsibility it has to those in the profession who came before. At the same time, the movie highlights the even greater duty journalists have towards the American people and how the press does, and MUST, exist for them and only them. The Post also doesn’t shortchange its initial subject matter of women’s equality. Proper time is spent examining Katherine and her journey from society daughter to society wife until her husband’s death threw her into a world she was intimidated by but was still determined to conquer. Watching as Katherine finds herself torn by past loyalties while honing in on that voice of courage and will struggling to get out ensures that The Post remains as intimate a character study as it does a thrilling newspaper movie. Both sides of the film’s script make it one of the most important movie efforts during this time. Full of pathos, conflict, and the kind of American heart required, The Post is one of those rarest of films which can be classified as both historical and zeitgeist.
I won’t dwell on how great the two leads are in their roles. Both Streep and Hanks do the kind of work which reinforce their status as acting pros and screen legends. The real joy however is in watching the eclectic supporting cast, who truly shine in the smallest of roles. Bob Odenkirk and Carrie Coon are thrills to watch as Post reporters, while Bradley Whitford and Bruce Greenwood bring out the interesting aspects of their roles as the film’s default heavies. Sarah Paulson adds some serenity as Bradlee’s wife, Jesse Plemmons proves game as the paper’s lawyer, and Matthew Rhys does some of the best work of his career as the whistleblower of the piece.
A couple of months ago when I reviewed Mark Felt, the biography of the man who would become known as Deep Throat, starring Liam Neeson, I commented on how that movie was the one to beat if this were 1998. This was due to the fact that Mark Felt was a film whose subject remained steeped in a history that never stopped fascinating people which was elevated through a dynamic and involving cinematic experience. The same is certainly true of The Post. Other than the marquee value of its stars and director, the main difference between the two is how in more ways than one, The Post is totally a film totally about today. Regardless of what its aims might’ve been, Spielberg’s film touches on the fundamental importance and responsibility that will always lie with the press, while also commenting on equality between sexes. Moreover, the the overall Americanness of the story is the kind of experience which will greatly satisfy a definite appetite in the current movie landscape. Like Mark Felt, The Post may not be the one to beat in the year of The Shape of Water and Call Me By Your Name, but the times definitely make it one to watch out for.
