Steven Spielberg’s 'The Post' is a celebration of
intelligence and the power of integrity. This film, set in 1971 is based on the
true story of how The Washington Post exposed top secret government documents (that
would later be known as The Pentagon Papers) revealing the shocking futility of
America’s involvement in The Vietnam War and the shameful cover ups made by the
White House spanning over four presidencies, from Truman up to Nixon. These
documents discovered by American military analyst, Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew
Rhys) paved the way for The Watergate Investigation.
Meryl Streep plays Kay Graham, socialite and owner
of The Washington Post, who inherited the newspaper after her late husband’s
suicide. It is lovely to see how her character develops and evolves throughout
the film from being cautious and hesitant, depending on the condescending advice
from her male board members to a woman with her own voice and mind prepared to
risk her fortune and livelihood to reveal the truth and prioritise public
interest. Tom Hanks plays short-tempered editor Ben Bradlee who from the get-go
is desperate to publish the papers at any cost and encourages Kay to be bold,
although he has a lot less to lose.
Although set in the early 1970’s, Spielberg draws a
few parallels with our current situation today, a bullying president attempting
to weaken the power of the press. Conflict of interest is a theme in this film
illustrated through Kay Graham’s friendship with Robert McNamara, Secretary of
Defence throughout the 1960’s and Ben Bradlee’s friendly relationship with the
Kennedys. There are many nail biting moments throughout this film which makes it so
thrilling to watch.
This film is historically rich and is a wonderful
celebration of pioneering feminism. It is inspirational to see the teamwork and
comradery amongst the journalists working together under such pressure and demonstrates
the rush that comes with certain careers. This film motivated me to learn more
about the history of this era and is an excellent tribute to the importance of whistleblowing
and investigative journalism.
