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Review of The Post

Drew Slager ’20
The flm, The Post, released in December 2017, is a political thriller starring famous actors Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep, along with Sarah Paulson and Bob Odenkirk.
The flm takes place in 1971 in Washington, D.C. and follows the events of The Washington Post’s owner Katharine “Kay” Graham (Streep) and editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee (Hanks) as they attempt to publish the infamous Pentagon Papers. These were top secret documents regarding the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War.

While the film’s major political issue is the fight for freezdom of the press, The Post also addresses gender equality. Graham is constantly overruled by men who work for her. She lacks the ability to trust herself and fears losing control of The Washington Post. Her board members make decisions without her, undermining her authority as the owner of the paper. She eventually takes charge and is able to become a strong, ferce leader of The Washington Post and faces the United States government in the Supreme Court.

The Post also shows how powerful the news and censorship of truth can be. Different scenes show newspaper readers, as well as shots of the newspaper production, including the design process, printing, and distribution to newsstands. These brief scenes give the effect of how fast the news can spread throughout the nation, conveying the rapidity at which information can be spread to the public.

Despite not being entirely historically accurate, The Post is flled with intensity and passion. A few telling details remind the audience that this is an altered rendition of the events, and not entirely factual. In reality, The New York Times got their hands on the Pentagon Papers before The Washington Post. The New York Times also started the battle for freedom of the press between the government and newspapers. The Post romanticized The Washington Post’s role in the leakage of the Pentagon Papers and the exposure of government lies.

Fans of journalism films would defnitely enjoy this movie, and its coverage of one of the nation’s most scandalous news sagas. The Post is recommended to any Hopkins student with an interest in writing and truth in the news, especially in today’s current political climate. Steven Spielberg’s flm is riveting and powerful, making it worth a trip to the theater. 

The Post was nominated for two Oscars and six Golden Globe awards. It was nominated for Best Motion Picture in both.
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The Razor's Edge reflects the opinion of 4/5 of the editorial board and will not be signed. The Razor welcomes letters to the editor but reserves the right to decide which letters to publish, and to edit letters for space reasons. Unsigned letters will not be published, but names may be withheld on request. Letters are subject to the same libel laws as articles. The views expressed in letters are not necessarily those of the editorial board.
     
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986 Forest Road
New Haven, Connecticut 06515
(203) 397-1001