“If we don’t hold them accountable, who will?”
Introduction
Steven Spielberg’s vast filmography is graced by a panoply of well-loved blockbusters the likes of Jaws, the Indiana Jones series, E.T. and Saving Private Ryan. His films are known for their interesting stories, memorable music, and high production value and normally get wide releases and much media attention. However, he also has a series of un-blockbuster-like films with intimate and dialogue-focused plotlines, the likes of 2004’s The Terminal and 2012’s Lincoln. The Post belongs to this latter category.
Although the Holy Trinity of Spielberg-Williams-Hanks graces it, The Post is an unassuming period newspaper drama about the ambitions of the then-local newspaper, The Washington Post and the exposé of the US Government’s mishandling of the Vietnam War brought to light through the leaking of the Pentagon Papers.
Story
Overview
“To publish, or not to publish” is the question that lies at the core of The Post. This question ties in with the maze of other pertinent questions about the necessity of Government secrecy, the professional responsibility of the media vs. their personal relationship with politicians and the all-encompassing question of the extent of ‘Free Speech’ that The Washington Post has to traverse while juggling with the temptation of rising above its underdog status. It is in the exploration of these questions that the characters of Kay Graham and Bob Bradlee unravel.
Characters
Meryl Streep’s Graham is the unwilling (but ungrudging) publisher of The Washington Post after the premature demise of her husband, who loves her newspaper as it formerly belonged to her father. A socialite at heart, she is polite and gently regal and administers on the advice of a male-dominated board that does not respect her. When the gelignite Pentagon Papers reach the Washington Post‘s newsroom, her decision is necessary for the publication. The first of the aforementioned questions makes her truly evaluate her commitment to the newspaper as she has to choose between her friendship and ensuing loyalty to the beleaguered Secretary of State, McNamara and a chance to propel the newspaper into national limelight, braving the wrath of the Nixon Administration, the possible cancellation of the IPO and against the advice of the board members. Her final decision, then, surprises not only the board but also herself and goes a long way in developing her character.
Tom Hanks’ Bob Bradlee, the ambitious and reckless Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Post is an unusual character for Hanks but is a convincing sell. He is tenacious, compulsively rude and insubordinate, qualities that help him through the tough decision-making process. He resolutely backs the publication of the papers and advises Graham to give the green light. His dry wit also helps to keep the dialogue fresh. His lack of chemistry with Graham is the true chemistry as their partnership truly begins after the monumental decision is made.
Themes
The themes that the movie deals with evolve and mature as the movie progresses. Although it is very context-specific and requires some emotional involvement in the time period to care enough, its scope widens as it runs and attains a universality that transcends its time period. What starts as a story of the ambitions of a local newspaper soon evolves into a commentary on the professional and moral responsibility of the media and the importance of the freedom of expression. Moreover, Meryl Streep’s Katherine Graham has a real character arc: from a socialite publisher of a local newspaper to a media pioneer whose decision sparks a revolution, that is a comment on the position of women in the world of business.
Drawbacks
In spite of this attempted universality, it must be established that The Post is predominantly an American film: made by Americans, for Americans and seems most relevant when viewed through this lens. That said, the subject matter is esoteric for non-Americans which makes it a demanding watch. It is a slow-burner that suffers from severe pacing issues, where the first half drags on and on and turns quickly into a snorefest and the second half, though snappy, feels rushed with a weak catharsis.
Conclusion
What keeps the film afloat is the work experience of its cast and crew. To be able to complete a fully-fledged side project while the big-budget Ready Player One is in the works and set for a release later this year would have required a clear vision that Steven Spielberg brings to the table along with his trademark creatively designed visual storytelling, editing, staging and the glorious SPIELBERG ONER (!!) to utilize the cinematic medium he had chosen to tell this story, to the fullest. Honest, well-rounded performances from veteran actors Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep and great supporting work from Bob Odenkirk result in the film turning out to be a ‘good’(i.e. fully-realized) movie.
The release of The Post could not have been timelier. In the face of the advent of the Trump Era and the tirades about ‘Fake News’, the role of the media as “press for the governed, not the governors” is as important as ever.
Here is the trailer for ‘The Post,’ directed by Steven Spielberg:
In So Many Words... 