The Post Review

 

        It was a chilly night that me and my friend were hanging out around Laredo that we decided to watch a movie in the theater. Out of all that were showing in the marquee, I saw that The Post was showing. We were both hesitant, but I remembered that Steven Spielberg directed the film and he could do no wrong. After we left, we both loved it, I believe it was us willing to watch something that we wouldn’t normally watch. With that, The Post is one of Spielberg’s best films in terms of historical dramas. SPOILERS will appear in the review. 

1. Story

        The film takes place during the Vietnam conflict. We follow Dan Ellesburg who is typing about the progress of the war for Robert McNamara. On the plane back, Dan tells Robert that any chance of success isn’t going anywhere. As they land in the tarmac, McNamara lies to the press and it really rubbed Dan the wrong way. Later, as Ellesburg is now a civilian he alongside others copy the documents that show U.S. interests in the Vietnam era dating back to the Truman administration.

 

        Years later, Katherine Graham played by Meryl Streep is now the head of The Washington Post and has to take on the responsibilities of taking the paper to public but is bullied by the shareholders who try to restrain her next moves. Meanwhile, McNamara tells Graham that a story about him will pop up in The New York Times that will paint him badly. A court order immediately shut down the Times’ story on the leaked documents. 

        From then on, The Washington Post is gifted a partial set of the documents and begin to write about them. Ben Bradlee played by Tom Hanks, oversees the progress and is thrilled that something as massive as the documents are in front of him since he wants to grapple stories that shake down the political system. The rest focuses on Bradlee and Graham’s actions about publishing the stories as well as dealing with the friends they made that are involved in politics. 

2. Historical Films 

        Aside from the usual summer blockbuster films Spielberg is known for and creating, he nails the historical dramas to the dot. There is a level of authentic respect for the time that makes the audience feels like they are in the time zone wherever his historical films take place. Right down to how the look of the film is, with the old school cars and how The Washington Post looked back in the early 70s. 

        Like the actor who plays McNamara Bruce Greenwood looks like him. I think it’s a testament to have historical films be like looking at an authentic play since people think it didn’t happen or they just don’t care. How Spielberg makes the films engaging is by using the stakes like President Nixon trying to stop the newspaper from publishing the government secret. To me, it’s engaging since I like history and I was not aware that this thing actually happened. 

        One bit that I liked that doesn’t involve the drama is the actual printing process the newspaper does. It’s very kinetic and something about is interesting that I would want to stay in that room and just watch the papers being published. I have no clue if that process is still being used but it represents the overall authenticity that Steven is trying to go for in the film. 

3. Meryl Streep is a Queen who slays

        I feel like as the film goes on, it’s really more about Streep’s character attempting and trying to wrestle authority over her control of the paper. With the newspaper being cavalier with reporting on the secret documents. Katharine Graham has to really challenge her friendship with McNamara by telling him that lying to the people about the war is wrong and her paper has a justification to publish the documents. I really like the moment where in the beginning one of the shareholders is talking to her in Graham’s office. The low angle that is behind Streep’s character shows that he is domineering to her.

        As well as the reverse shot that is in the opposite point of view that communicates that as well. 

Eventually she manages to stand up to the shareholders and really assert her control by giving Hanks’ character to go ahead with the paper. This is one of Streep’s best performance other than playing Miranda in The Devil Wears Prada. Obviously there’s supposed to be an empowerment moment when she finally asserts herself but I think it works well since she tries to muster enough courage to speak out since we’re told she never had a chance to. 

4. The Post: Free publicity

        The movie explains that the paper is no longer the local paper, I feel that in one way the film is a big advertisement for the newspaper. The whole bullpen of writers and editors were willing to write about this damaging story that they bunked in Bradlee’s house to comb over the documents and pump out the story before the deadline. 

        I feel that it shames The New York Times as not being good enough to release all of the data, but I can understand that they were doing it by an issue release. One of things that Graham stressed about the Post is that it has to be were good reporting happens. That’s enough for any up and coming news reporter that wants to be employed by the paper. Regardless, The Washington Post gets free publicity and earns a place in history with evoking the 1st amendment.

5. Overall

        Steven Spielberg continues to pump out quality historical films. This one is no exception and it earned the academy award nominations even though it didn’t win any. Aside from the blockbusters that defined his career, his historical dramas is the ones that facilitate his success since anyone can watch them without the need to have any background knowledge. The Post feels like a prequel to the 70s classic All The President’s Men. And that’s a good thing. 

The Post gets a four out of five.