The Post (Review)

“That’s fake news” are possibly the three most dangerous words strung together by any sitting President. It has the power to make cohorts of conservatives and Republicans to dismiss fact-based investigations as fiction. The current administration that needs no naming is aware of the power of the media. That same power is what is on show in Spielberg’s latest ‘The Post’.

In the lead up to Watergate, there was the ‘Pentagon Papers’. An internal investigation that was commissioned by the department of defence to catalogue the events of the Vietnam War from the American perspective. Many secrets that weren’t made public were included in these papers. Secrets such as the odds of winning were low, that they kept sending in men years after they knew they weren’t going to win, and the bombing of neighbouring countries such as Laos. One man who was a part of the team decided that these facts should be made public. So he sneaks out the report to make copies to share to the newspapers.

Meanwhile, at The Washington Post, a small family paper their first female CEO (Meryl Streep), who married into it is about to make the company public. In the newsroom, they’re having a rocky relationship with the Nixon administration after a reporter ‘crashed’ Nixon’s daughter’s wedding. The editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) is hearing rumours about a big story about to be published in the New York Times. His team then tries to play catch up. When they do catch up (in part thanks to the Nixon administration), they are faced with the risk of going to gaol for publishing the papers, all while their company is about to go public.

On paper, this story doesn’t seem to have any thrilling elements but don’t tell screenwriters Josh Singer (Oscar winner for ‘Spotlight’s’ script), Liz Hannah and director Steven Spielberg that. They meticulously add tension by adding emphasising deadlines and a moral conundrum to the centre of the story. If they publish these papers they could go to gaol for revealing government secrets. Meanwhile, it could prevent more lives going to waste for a ‘patriotic’ act that soon doesn’t seem patriotic. Unlike the New York Times, they don’t have three months to go through the papers, consider the legal consequences and write a story. They have hours. Like a lot of recent Spielberg films, this is one he couldn’t make when in the 70s/80s. This will be seen as one of his most mature films as he doesn’t jump to conclusions to the questions he asks. It’s through these questions he manages to determine the need and importance of investigative journalism. Spielberg would be more than aware of the current political situation and the rushed production (though you couldn’t tell from watching the film) to get it ready this year is clear that they wanted to make a statement with this film before it was too late. Despite the speed this film was made at, Spielberg still puts plenty of thought into what he was trying to say. He shows the positives of journalism but not without critique. Does the press deserve freedom? If so will it impact American lives?

Spielberg once again shows his strength to tell the story visually. He blocks scenes carefully to emphasise one’s position. Especially, Streep’s character when she is the sole female in a room of men. This is a movie in which dialogue is essential and Spielberg’s regular DoP Janusz Kaminski uses the camera well to add plenty of creative visuals to the film. He lets actors act in the spaces they’re in. He also spices up conventional coverage with multiple long takes to cover a scene and even the occasional line jump. Spielberg has always been able to block a scene with careful precision but in The Post, you can see why he’s been working with Kaminski for over 20 years. Their ability to add flair to conventional filmmaking is what makes them such a great team.

Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are both excellent here. Hanks is still America’s sweetheart here but his character has to earn it. He’s a bit pushy towards Meryl Streep’s character. A sign that she doesn’t have his respect yet, and by the end, Hanks grows to show more understanding and vice versa. Both actors bring an integrity to their roles to elevate them from being more than just “based on a real person”. Each of their nuanced performances proves that they’re more than just box office draws but rather talented actors whose dedication to the craft is the draw to the films that they are in.

To focus on Streep and Hanks would be to dismiss the rest of the cast. Bob Odenkirk, one of Hanks’s lead reporters is the one who does the investigating in the film and it’s certainly more interesting to watch than 2015’s ‘Spotlight’. Sarah Paulson who plays Hank's wife still manages to shine when she sidelined for most of the film. Her moment comes when she gives Hanks a message of support towards the end of the film. This pushes Hanks towards publishing the leaked documents and having trust in Streep. The rest of the cast all have their own small moments. Tracy Letts, Bradley Whitford, Bruce Greenwood, Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, Jesse Plemons and David Cross are the other names that need mentioning here.

While the film does focus on Streep being a woman in a man’s world and her struggle to carry the legacy of her husband forward, it was apparently at one point the focus of the film. In the final product, I think it’s handled in a way that it’s clear what is going on but not halting the plot to remind us what we already know. I do wish we could’ve seen a twist like that on the journalist film in the vein of Spotlight or All the President’s Men. Maybe one day.

The Post will be considered by many as left wing propaganda but the film never overtly states itself as such. It would rather ponder on the questions that the people had to face when the papers were being leaked to the public. This film is about not letting the government not having too much power over its people. After all “People shouldn't be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” - Alan Moore (V for Vendetta). This is a sentiment that all sides should believe in and it's what this film is trying to say.

Overall Score: 9/10

What did you think of this film? Would you post a DVD of this film to a politician you didn't like?

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Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: Josh Singer and Liz Hannah

Starring: Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Jesse Plemons, Michael Stuhlbarg, Carrie Coon, and Matthew Rhys

Score: John Williams

Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski

Editor: Michael Kahn and Sarah Broshar

BONUS FACT: The combined number of Oscar for the people who worked on this film is 22.

Rick Carter (Production Design): 2

Ann Roth (Costumes): 1

Janusz Kaminski (DoP): 2

John Williams (Score): 5

Michael Kahn (Editor): 3

Josh Singer (Writer): 1

Steven Spielberg (Director): 3

Tom Hanks (Actor): 2

Meryl Streep: 3