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Steven Spielberg is, and always has been, one of my favorite directors -- mainly because his versatility in every aspect of film-making is so consummately original and stylish. He sets the standards by which so many film-makers follow. But it is also due to the way he works with certain actors, many of whom come back to work with him again and again.
Tom Hanks is one of those actors, and here with "The Post," his fourth outing with Spielberg, he has also shown, once again, how his own versatility in performance so well complements that of Spielberg's. "Saving Private Ryan" (1998), "The Terminal" (2004), "Bridge of Spies" (2015) and now "The Post" show the power of this collaboration, so memorably and effectively delivered.
Meryl Streep, one of the world's most prolific and consistently good actors out there, joins Hanks and Spielberg to create a power-house ensemble that can not be understated -- but more about that later.
There have been several great movies that have taken certain political moments in history and shed a true light on their particular infamy, making them as entertaining as they are informative, and "The Post" certainly joins that illustrious list. "All the President's Men" (1976) is the main one that comes to mind -- regarded as one of the best political movies ever made. About the Watergate Scandal and the downfall of President Nixon, it is also an example of an ensemble cast and crew that all work perfectly together and, under the equally strong direction of Alan J. Pakula, achieve the same dramatically suspenseful results.
Here then is my review of Spielberg's 33rd feature film as director and his continuing, occasional study of some of America's pivotal historical moments.
It is 1966 and the Vietnam War is fully involved. Military analyst Daniel Ellsberg, played by Matthew Rhys, has been assigned to follow and study the progress of the U.S. military in Vietnam, but after returning home with all his data, he becomes increasingly disillusioned by the official response to questions about the progress of the war. Then in 1971, Ellsberg leaks the documents that show the real details of the war, known as "The Pentagon Papers," to the New York Times.
The story follows the next two weeks as the documents end up in the hands of the Washington Post. It is then up to Editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee, played to brilliantly measured effect by Tom Hanks, and owner/publisher Katherine Graham, played by the excellently stoic Meryl Streep, to take the information and decide, against all legal advice, whether to publish these damning papers. With some excellently paced support, specifically by Bob Odenkirk as assistant editor Ben Bagdikian who tracks down Ellsberg as the leak, the story unfolds with an amazingly involved, chaotic kind of calm as all involved decide on their epoch-making decision.
One of the things that always impresses me about Spielberg is how he is able to tell his story. Whether it be a historically correct portrayal or a fantasy movie with aliens and future technology, it is how he manages to assemble the entire film with a pin-sharp clarity of context and sub-plot all rolled together in a seamlessly edited flow and, all the time, make sure the characters are front and center of the story. His greatest works -- such as "Jaws" (1975), "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1978) and "E.T." (1982), from "Schindler's List" (1993) and "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) to "Lincoln" (2012) and so many others -- all have one thing in common that sets them apart from other movies and certainly makes them all greats -- the characters and the story are what we remember most, not the big-budget technology or the ground-breaking effects that always accompany them, even though they are certainly unforgettable. No… it is the characters and their interactions, whether funny or sad, menacing or humble, that shine forth and carry what could so easily be a lesser movie and make it the classic that it so often becomes.
Not to forget the other character that Spielberg always uses… John Williams' music -- but that is a discussion for another time.
With "The Post," Speilberg has taken that period of time when the so-called "Pentagon Papers" were published and turned it into a fast-paced nail-biter of a story that beautifully captures the mood and urgency of the time and shows how the political tide was turned by those few brave journalists who went up against the Nixon administration and revealed to the world the truth about the Vietnam War and, in doing so, changed the world of journalism forever.
The freedom of the press and the right to know by every citizen of America was of the utmost importance and has led many to believe that now, more than ever, this movie is important in its message. The actions of journalists mean as much today as they did 47 years ago.
Of course, the performances are as expected -- Hanks and Streep with Spielberg at the helm… say no more! The truth is actually that all the players show a brilliant balance of restraint and careful revelation in all their performances, particularly Streep, who perfectly captures the nuance of Graham as she battles through her dilemmas -- to print or not to print, that is the question. Well, you will need to watch it to find out, unless you know the real story. Then, well, you will simply enjoy the delivery and eventual outcome of this small but hugely significant moment in American political history as it plays out in this beautifully crafted movie.
It has actually proven a hit with audiences, making almost $175 million at the worldwide box office and garnering many awards and nominations including Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Actress (Streep).
I do recommend "The Post," not necessarily because of the director, or the actors therein, although they are enough in themselves… no, I recommend it because it is of huge historical significance and can be taken and used in the context of, not only today, but also for future generations, to teach that freedom, though hard-fought and earned, is most definitely still one of our single greatest achievements as a nation.
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"The Post" (PG-13), a 20th Century Fox release, is out now on DVD and Blu-ray.
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Roy Morris is a freelance writer. He can be reached by email at amorris1989@hotmail.com.