Review of All the King's Men (1949) by Chad M — 22 Aug 2007

Sean Penn gives the performance of his career in this film. His presence on-screen rivals the classic Orson Welles' ability to completely command a story. Set in the insanity of early 1900s Louisiana, Penn portrays the idealistic populist Willie Stark, based on the real-life Kingfish, Huey Long.

While this film does nothing to tribute to Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning lyrical prose on which it is based, as expectedly no film can, the performances of many standout Oscar-winners and noms are impressive and should not be overlooked.

While this film is long, it still doesn't scratch the surface of the enigmatic Stark. It would have to be ten hours at least to accomplish that. My only problem with this film is that in its adaptation to the screen, the film is set in the 1950s.

The book, like the history it's based on, is set in the 1920s and early 30s. The reference to FDR in the past tense in the film confuses those who realize that Stark's real-life alter-ego planned a presidential campaign against FDR and probably would've been elected if not for his demise.

The success of this book and film are in its realism, and the shift in time accomplishes little and diminishes much to the in-depth moviegoer or historian. Other than that, it's impressive. B+.