Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Meryl Streep, Ben Bradlee, Bob Odenkirk, Bradley Whitford, Tracy Letts, Bruce Greenwood, Carrie Coon, Sarah Paulson, David Cross, Matthew Rhys
The Post tells the story of The Washington Post's 1971 legal battle to publish what became known as The Pentagon Papers, a 4000-plus page study compiled by former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. The study outlined the U.S. government's entire covert ops history with Vietnam, beginning with the Truman administration and continuing into Nixon's. McNamara believed as early as 1965 that military conflict in Vietnam would be unwinnable, yet thousands of troops were sent and thousands died, mostly to avoid losing a war for the first time in our nation's history.
This story holds parallels to today's America, in which the media finds itself under attack by a presidency which thinks a free press should not be free at all or tell the truth. In this presidency's eyes, the media should only flatter the presidency and not criticize it, or report on its failings. What is as scary as this attitude is how many citizens go along with it, shouting "Fake News" whenever confronted with a story even minutely showing the President in a bad light. Post editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks) knows the papers are an important piece of truth which people should see for themselves. The Nixon administration felt differently, filing injunctions against the New York Times, in which the papers were originally published, and in essence any other newspaper which even considers doing stories on them.
Parallels aside, which are not meant to be hidden by Spielberg and writers Josh Singer and Liz Hannah, The Post is a strongly made film displaying the need and power of accurate journalism. I saw All the President's Men (1976) again recently and was awed by its knowledge of reporting and its ruthless depiction of what a grind it can be. The Washington Post found itself forever at odds with the Nixon administration even before the Pentagon Papers came to light. Bradlee is in a quandary to determine which reporter should cover Nixon's daughter's wedding because the Post was seen in such disfavor by Nixon. After the papers matter was settled, Nixon banned the Post from allowing its reporters anywhere near the White House. Sound familiar?
In the center of this historic story is Katherine "Kay" Graham (Streep), the publisher of the Post who had just taken the paper public on the American Stock Exchange and faces immense pressure not to publish the story on the Papers due to possible financial implications, contempt of court charges which could land she and Bradlee in jail, and her own friendship with McNamara (Greenwood) which clouds her judgment in the way Bradlee's own relationship with the Kennedys did. It is difficult to print unflattering stories about people who are frequent dinner and party guests, but as Bradlee tactfully puts it to Kay, is the Post more interested in cultivating political friendships or printing stories for the benefit of its readers?
The dynamic between Bradlee and Graham plays almost like an Odd Couple. Bradlee is a tireless editor, always looking to scoop the New York Times, and seems to be at home more in his office than his own house. Graham eyes widening the profit margins and growth of the Post, which at the time was seen as a "local paper" and not yet a national media powerhouse. Her relationship with Bradlee never devolves into profits vs. principles arguments...thank goodness. Each understands the other's position when it comes to publishing the story on the papers, but it is Graham who is left with the ultimate decision on whether to go to press. The more subtle (or maybe not so subtle) subtext in The Post is the belief by a male-dominated board that Graham, as a woman, simply is unable to handle being in charge because she is a woman. It would be refreshing to say such attitudes are mostly dead and buried today, but sadly we know they are not.
As a filmmaker, Steven Spielberg is unmatched in his ability to marshal the biggest talent both in front of and behind the camera and focus it to fit his vision. The Post was made in less than one year because Spielberg felt the story has entirely too much resonance to today's political and media climate to wait to be told. He is correct. The leads are played by two of the best actors of all time, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, and their performances are not star turns but intense character studies. Streep expertly conveys Graham's internal battles as the weight of the future of American freedom of the press falls on her shoulders. This is not hyperbole. Those were indeed the stakes. Hanks is the moral conscience of The Post. I don't know whether the real Ben Bradlee was this idealistic, but Hanks' portrayal of the editorial giant is one of utterly convincing worldly experience and the ability to know when to take the gloves off when dealing with attorneys or others who stand in his way.
The supporting cast is chock full of strong actors doing strong supporting work, especially Letts as Fritz Beebe, Kay's financial adviser who isn't unsympathetic to her battles and Odenkirk as Ben Bagdikian, a nose-to-the grindstone reporter who tracks down the papers. What is not lost on the viewer about The Post is how, a mere year or so later, the Washington Post found itself on the wrong side of Nixon again in its reporting on Watergate. Only this time, Nixon and his power-mad administration finally met their just end. How could it end any other way? The Post juggles a lot of balls in the air. It has a lot to say and says so in just under two hours. It doesn't drag, but it also doesn't quite match the power of previous Spielberg dramas like Lincoln and Schindler's List. Maybe because in those stories, good ultimately triumphed over an evil system, while in The Post, good triumphs only temporarily because the role of the media is ever fluid in the public's mind. The same Washington Post which was lauded for holding Nixon accountable is now criticized for being holding Donald Trump accountable. Makes you think. And shudder.
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