Review of The Post (2017) by Surajchelatsrc — 25 Jan 2018

It's always been a delight to watch a Steven Spielberg movie; no matter which style or genre he's tackling, he's a proven master craftsman who has a unique way of handling lives. This time, he has chosen to say the story of a big triumph in a small world of 'free expression'; the courage it took for Katharine Graham, the owner-publisher of the Washington Post, to divulge highly classified information on one of the biggest diplomatic lies that has ever been told-the Pentagon papers and the Vietnam War! It was no mere journalistic victory, given a bold Lady's guts it took to make an advance move; the effort put in by Ben Bradlee-the Editor in Chief, and his team in condensing the immense contents of the papers to its simplest relatable form. There's a scene in the movie where Katherine quotes her husband Phil, on the ironic immensity of the press' nature-"News is the first rough draft of History!". And who brings it out, definitely the Press. If there's been a big reason as to why Spielberg made 'The Post' in 2017, it's to assert the significance of free Press and censure in a Democratic setup.

Meryl Streep as Mrs.Grahams and Tom Hanks as Bradlee is a dream cast for any movie on the same subject; yeah it's not a dream anymore! There's nothing more to comment on their acting or Spielberg's direction, they're proven masters of this trade. The way Streep and Hanks make their acting seem so effortless presents a true befuddlement. When it comes to the other master, there's a specific purport, dignity, intrigue and mastery in his storytelling, as always. Nowadays, only in a Spielberg movie can you spot a neatly executed Dolly zoom, trolley movements and classic close-ups. There'll definitely be Janusz Kaminsky, Michael Kahn and John Williams to his legendary squad, and so they are here. An impeccable army!

Investigative journalism is one of Hollywood's widely dealt with topic; to pick some classic examples we have an 'All The President's Men', a Spotlight and a Zodiac-even the father of all well made movies 'Citizen Kane' is ultimately a movie on Press. 'The Post' begins off like a satire on 'Nam, and later takes off in a more linear direction. It's a known story, rather a page from renowned History textbooks; that's where the real challenge lies, to make an engaging movie on a story whose beginning and ends you already know, everybody knows. I believe Liz Hannah has achieved it hands down, credits to the rightful assistance meted out by Josh Singer, one of the men behind Spotlight, a rightful hire. Needless to say, the 'class' and the substance is only amped up by the hands of the big Master. From what happened in 'Nam, to what happens in the Post's unofficial Board Meetings, to what goes through the mind of a sensitive Mrs.Grahams, to what's going on in the White House and down even to Watergate, Spielberg has shown it all. We know the Vietnam War wasn't neither a big victory, nor short of a great number of casualties; it was a long kept Diplomatic Secret which left no more spaces to public negotiation; a terrible loss followed by inglorious consequences. To rationalise the ill sides of such an important event in History; to make it available to the Public is a sure buy for any seller, but an even riskier task for a journalist.

Now, one may ask who really cares whether or not someone had made an age-old lie; one may ask why it needs to be discussed in the current world scenario? The world is getting torn apart by civil wars and mostly internal strifes, democracies are nearing a halt, nepotism is gaining a headway in all spheres, and totalitarianism is slowly finding its way back to immense adjacencies(even Disney bought Fox AF!). The face of the world is changing, and new currents are growingly apathetic to public expression and free press. This is where 'The Post' holds a contemporary relevance; this is an ode to unsung journalistic heroes, and a note of encouraging their good spirits.