The Post

Synopsis: Before there was Watergate there were the Pentagon Papers, a secret government report detailing America’s duplicitous involvement in Vietnam which was leaked to The New York Times in 1971. The Nixon Administration tried to suppress publication of its contents by The Times but The Washington Post took up the challenge..

The poster for this film simply say “Hanks”, “Streep” and in a bigger font than its title. This makes sense as most people will see it for its bankable star power more than its content or even the fact that Steven Spielberg directed it, something which, let’s face it, can be a mixed blessing. It also makes sense because the film, which at heart is about freedom of the press, was rushed into production in order to remind the American cinema-going public of the vital importance of free speech and eternal vigilance, once upon a time under Nixon and by extension, now under Trump. Given this, the bigger the audience the better and Hanks and Streep should do it (actually it looks like the strategy is not working as teh $50m film only took $4m in its first week) .

Whatever your motive for seeing The Post, you won’t be disappointed.  Although it is a bit difficult initially to orient yourself to the many players involved and the relationship between The Washington Post and The New York Times (they seemed to me to be across the street from each other but were they even in the same city? I couldn't say ) once the scene-setting is over and the outline of the narrative emerges the film becomes a gripping drama.

The screenplay by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer focuses on the two main characters: Kay Graham (Meryl Streep) the meekly diffident owner of The Post who is trying to steer the paper through financial troubles, and Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) her Editor-in-Chief, a seasoned newspaperman who knows a good headline is the key to survival. The story of the eventual publication of the Pentagon Papers is woven around the relationship of these two  friends-in-business. There is also an economically-handled sub-theme of Kay’s embattled position in the male-dominated world of the early 1970s (her husband not long since committed suicide) and her emerging confidence in her own judgement. Hanks, playing yet another Mr Nice Guy is, as always, impossible not to like while Streep is also winning in an uncharacteristically subdued performance.

For a film that was rushed into production The Post looks very good. The main setting of a 1970s-style newsroom is completely convincing (the film could be shown back-to-back with All The President’s Men (1976) and look like Parts 1 and 2 of the same film) whilst re-visiting the old staple of showing a broadsheet going to press is a delightful touch, a testament to the skills of the production team.

Of course being Spielberg, and moreover Spielberg-on-a-mission, The Post is not subtle, particularly in its latter stage. Given the motive and context, for once we can excuse him (also on the upside John Willams’s score is restrained and there are only a couple of scenes involving a child). Although the issues are not as immediate for us Downunder, The Post is still a compelling film.

FYI: The two scenes in which Nixon appears seen from behind uses tapes of the ex-President’s actual voice. For more on the man who leaked the top secret documents see The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg And The Pentagon Papers (2009).

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