We finally got around to seeing The Post on the weekend. it was everything I expected it to be - a smart, well-acted, adult film. What I was not expecting was the pointed references to the current era in American politics. Leaders lying to the people, the media trying to tell the world about the lies, the leaders attempting to silence the press. Check, check, check.
Some have criticized the movie. The Post was scooped by The New York Times when that paper obtained the lengthy government report that showed successive U.S. administrations had known Vietnam was an unwinnable war. But after a court order halted the Times's publication, the Post got hold of its own copy and made the risky decision to publish, too. The movie could have been called The Times and focused on their efforts to give voice to the truth against incredible odds.
The Post is not just a retelling of the Pentagon papers. It is the story of Kay Graham, the widowed socialite plonked into the publisher's chair by her husband's suicide. It is the story of the unraveling of an era where members of the Post staff were friends with the powerful politicians of the day and often refrained from publishing information that might prove embarrassing to their friends.
Meryl Streep as Kay Graham enjoys some particularly sharp moments as Graham's sheltered perspectives and naive faith in American leaders crumble in the face of the Pentagon Papers' revelations and she, in turn, finds her power. The scene where she enjoys her publish-and-be-damned moment is particularly delightful as the actress prolongs her indecision as long as she possibly can before suddenly giving way. You see her gain confidence in the role she didn't want but came to relish. In so doing she became a powerful role model for countless women.
In 2018, we live in a time where the President of the United States has been whining about “fake news” and American trust in news sources has been whittled away to where only 27% of Americans say they have a great deal of trust in newspapers. Where The Post really shines is in showing the nitty-gritty of journalism, although doing it within a compressed timeline and narrative that lends itself to exhilarating speeches, ticking clocks, and cutting out the boring parts like people not returning phone calls and other countless dead ends. But it’s a film that shows in the journalism profession, everyone takes their work seriously and no one is blind to the stakes of any story. It’s a searing rebuttal against an imagined “agenda” by showing the real work that goes into serious journalism.
Steven Spielberg’s movie goes further to show the rampant misogyny surrounding Graham. The journalism element may speak to our present, but the misogyny is clearly born out of the 2016 election and how sexism factored into the treatment of Hillary Clinton. Although Graham isn’t a Clintonian figure, there’s no missing that she’s a woman in a job that’s traditionally given to men and there’s no shortage of men trying to undercut her. While the inequality women have faced is nothing new, we’ve at least reached the point where we must start to confront it even if that confrontation is long overdue.
The Post is a movie that is IMPORTANT, but it never feels self-satisfied or smug thanks to the talent of everyone involved. We all know why the people making this movie are doing it, and that the press for it will certainly revolve around current events. But what makes The Post more than topical is that Spielberg never loses sight of telling the best story. Yes, The Post speaks to the moment, but it’s through Spielberg’s voice that it speaks clearly and forcefully.
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