One of my more controversial and contentious opinions in regards to cinema is that I never quite bought into the idea that Steven Spielberg was some cinematic doyen, an elder-statesman of quality (and as of late with his one-film-a-year output, quantity) cinema. Many of his more enduring films, such as Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extraterrestrial and several others are clearly very embraced and adored by many people, and while they are very good films, I could never quite embrace them as warmly as others have. However, there is still hope, as I do have an enormous amount of respect for Spielberg, particularly in terms of the more mature, serious films he makes. Some of the best work, in my opinion, of Spielberg’s career, includes films such as Catch Me If You Can, The Terminal and Bridge of Spies. These tense character studies (and true-life stories) are absolutely astonishing, and the more mature narratives interest me far more than the crowd-pleasing, family-friendly fare that he is so widely adored for. Another film has entered the canon of great Spielberg films, The Post. A quiet but intense political thriller, The Post is a fascinating, rebelliously good portrayal of the powers of journalism, and it features some extraordinary performances and a keen sense of deeply meaningful commentary that is strangely relevant to the current political climate. While perhaps not the most groundbreaking film, The Post is a reliable, earnest film that proves to be one of the most fervently relevant films of the year.

In the early 1970s, Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) is the heiress to the Washington Post, the newspaper started by her father, then handed down to her husband, who ran it until his suicide. This left the company in the hands of Katharine, who shows herself to be fiercely capable of running the company, only being impinged by the various men involved in the company who question her capabilities to run the newspaper in the way that her father or husband did. One of her few allies at the Washington Post is Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), the editor-in-chief who is desperate to find a story that can allow them to be taken more seriously. Meanwhile, Katharine is attempting to find a way to ensure that the newspaper stays afloat, which means making it a public entity, which she hopes will give the newspaper the financial boost it needs. Both Katharine and Bradlee find the answer to their problems in the revelations of the Pentagon Papers, a several-thousand page document that details government knowledge about the Vietnam War, as well as plans for rigging elections and classified information that details government actions that could bring the entire presidency into question, and the integrity of President Richard Nixon into disarray (because of all the paramount of integrity that have ever stood in the White House, Richard Nixon was definitely the most honest, correct?). This leak of classified information presents an enigmatic conundrum to Katharine and Bradlee – if they choose to publish the documents, they will be thrust into the national spotlight, and their humble newspaper will become a part of American history, but at the expense of a possible criminal charge that could send senior executives at the newspaper to prison. It is a difficult decision to make, and the potential to change the entire course of American legal policy and perhaps even history is held in the quaking hands of Katharine Graham and Ben Bradlee, who need to make the difficult decision to allow the government to get away with their deception, or to tell the truth and expose those in power for their malevolent actions and involvement in the war.

Steven Spielberg does not have a repertoire of regular collaborators in terms of actors and has worked with several prominent talents on one or more occasions, but he is usually consistent in working with talent he has not yet worked with before. The Post is of particular interest because it has Spielberg working with two performers in the lead role, both of which he has worked with before, but never at the same time. The first of these is Tom Hanks, who has been in all of my favourite Spielberg films, namely the ones mentioned above, Bridge of Spies, The Terminal and Catch Me If You Can. The Post is the fifth collaboration between Hanks and Spielberg (with the exception of the few projects in which they have worked together as producers or directors, such as Band of Brothers and The Pacific), and as I’ve alluded to, it is as good as any of their previous collaborations. The Post features Hanks in one of his more fascinating roles, and while he is still a sympathetic and heroic character who doubtlessly does the right thing, he also abandons his archetypal everyman personality to play Ben Bradlee, a hot-headed, volatile newspaper editor who struggles with uncovering the truth. His desperation to find a good story is made very clear through Hanks’ terrific performance, and it gives him one of his finest hours. It is not necessarily an out-of-character performance, and it is a character that is well within Hanks’ capabilities (so it doesn’t run the risk of being too much of a departure from what he has done previously), but it also affords him the opportunity to develop a character who possesses qualities that have yet to be explored in Hanks’ career. More than this, his performance as Bradlee is wonderful, being able to bring out the inherent humanity in a man who makes a career out of conveying the truth. Hanks and Spielberg have made a career out of bringing out the best in each other, and while Hanks may not be particularly groundbreaking in this role, he is as reliable and endlessly likeable as always, and he turns in a fantastic performance.

The other performer that Spielberg returns in collaboration with is Meryl Streep. Unlike Hanks, Streep has not been a consistent presence in Spielberg’s films, having only had a small voice performance in Spielberg’s Kubrick tribute, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence. More surprisingly, The Post is a film that pairs arguably two of the greatest living performers across from each other, while somehow being their first on-screen collaboration. Hanks has worked with Streep in the capacity of a producer on films such as Mamma Mia! and The Ant Bully (definitely not highlights in the careers of either individual), so naturally, to see them acting across from each other was bound to be special. Hanks is reliable and as wonderful as always, but Streep is astonishing. Like Spielberg, I fail to be fully captivated by the perceived legendary status of Streep, often finding the idea that she is somehow the most talented actress working today laughable (do not get me wrong, she is an amazing actress and I do like very tremendously), but like the director, when Streep hits the mark, she is absolutely wonderful. Her performance in The Post is one of her best, playing a woman who is simultaneously vulnerable and insecure, as well as inspiring and willful. It may not be as rambunctious and distinctively notable as some of her more iconic performances, but she imbues the character with the same curiously powerful strength of character who is so undeniably magnetic and beautifully-complex. Streep, for all of her faults in films that force her to give a more excessive performance, never fails to find the complexities in her characters, and she is an actress who brings out the nuances out of every role, removing all traces of artificiality and making each performance undeniably great. The Post is extraordinarily strong work from Streep, and her presence is almost overwhelming. Perhaps what I admire the most about Streep as an actress is her ability to play characters that are folkloric and iconic, and most certainly larger-than-life in some instances, yet she finds the true humanity in each and every one of them. The Post is not an exception, and she is incredible in it.

I’ve noticed something about Spielberg’s films: the ones I enjoy the most are character-driven and focus on the nuances of the story rather than the excessive display of technical prowess. The Post is one of Spielberg’s most humble, nuanced portrayals of reality, and despite being about a much larger issue, it never fails to focus mainly on the relationships between the characters. Hanks and Streep obviously have incredible chemistry in the film, but The Post is not focused solely on these two characters, and depend on an ensemble of actors who are responsible for the humanity of the story, conveying the truth and playing their part in representing history. Spielberg works with one of his most star-studded cast yet, composed of veterans of film, television and theatre, all of which play their part in telling this story, regardless of the size of their roles. It would be a fruitless exercise to discuss each member of this cast individually, precisely because they all are equally responsible for the progression of the story, and the film succeeds through the delicate construction of a cast of performers, each one contributing to the story in a way that is entirely invaluable and vital to the narrative. Michael Stuhlbarg (one of the most consistent character actors working today, and someone who I am extremely pleased to see gaining more high-profile roles), Bradley Whitford, Carrie Coon, Sarah Paulson, Bruce Greenwood and many others are all great in the film and are important elements of the story. However, one member of the supporting cast struck me as the most meaningful, Bob Odenkirk, who is the only member of the cast other than Hanks and Streep to have something resembling a full character arc, and plays an extremely important role in the film, perhaps one even more vital to the narrative than that of Bradlee and Katharine, as it is Odenkirk’s character of Ben Bagdikian, the dedicated assistant editor, that helps set the exposé into motion. However, everyone in the cast is of equal importance, and rather than having a few standouts, the ensemble forms an intricate puzzle of a film, each having their own responsibility in telling this story.

At its core, The Post is a film about journalism and the integrity that is supposed to be inherent in such a profession. The freedom of the press has become quite a contentious subject, and thus The Post is eerily relevant. I am not surprised that Spielberg chose to make this film at this time, especially when the current President of the United States has gone to war with the press over what he considers their complete and utter disregard for the truth (when, as it has been shown on countless occasions, the exact opposite is true). The Post is a film that narrowly avoids being overly political in terms of commenting on current events, as well as not attempting to make the timeliness of its production too obvious. However, the parallels are exceedingly clear, and a film that shows the hard-working men and women who dedicate their lives to telling the truth and reporting what civilians ought to know, even in the face of backlash from some very powerful and even more nervous governmental authorities. The Post is an inspiring film, and it is relatively uplifting, but it is also honest, and it shows the somewhat sleazy, slightly immoral ways journalists garner their information, as well as their relentless lust for a good lead that can lead to an even better story. What I admired the most about The Post is how deeply truthful it is, perhaps not being entirely historically accurate (according to the opinions of a few individuals who worked with The New York Times during the Nixon era), but rather in showing the trials and tribulations of a group of journalists who risk their careers and even their freedom to impart the knowledge that they believe the public has the right to know. The Post, as mentioned previously, is not a groundbreaking film, and it is fairly standard in its portrayal of the freedom of speech, and the power of journalists in exposing the truth (it doesn’t do anything films such as Spotlight and All the President’s Men do not do equally as well). However, when all disbelief has been suspended, it is a riveting, exciting portrayal of journalistic integrity, and how the truth has the power to dismantle political empires. It is impossible to watch The Post and feel anything other than suitably enthusiastic. It is, in a way, the quintessential Spielberg film, having the sentimentality of his more crowd-pleasing films, as well as the serious maturity of his more refined cinematic outings. For this reason alone, The Post is a terrific experience.

There is not any doubt that the core of The Post is based on exploring the world of journalism, and how the Washington Post helped expose the truth of a shocking American political scandal. Yet, there is another theme running through this film that is almost equally as distinctive and timely as the idea of exploring freedom of the press and the First Amendment: the theme of feminism. Steven Spielberg has garnered some controversy throughout the years for his lack of female leads (if memory serves me correctly, The BFG was his first film with a female lead since 1987’s The Color Purple), and while Spielberg’s films have had some memorable female roles in them, a female character rarely took centre-stage in one of his stories. The Post is a film that atones for this problem by focusing mostly on Katharine Graham, an unheralded American heroine who made an indelible impact on history, even if her name is often missing from lists of influential change-makers. It would have been tremendously easy to focus this film almost solely on the actual investigation and publishing (in the same way that 1976’s All the Presidents Men did, also a film about the Washington Post investigating a Nixon-era scandal), but through looking at this story through the gaze of Katharine, we are able to see the less-known nuances of this story, making this film as much a political thriller as it is a piece of social realism. Katharine Graham is the sole female in a world full of powerful men, and the few female journalists scattered throughout this film are shown to also struggle with the perception that because of their gender, they are somehow incapable of the same intelligence and logic as men. It is a powerful exemplification of the power of equality, and it is relentless in showing the potential that can be achieved through teamwork that has no social boundaries and is rather driven on the principles of truthfulness and being loyal to the pursuit of honesty and equality. That is the core of The Post, and the reason behind its success.

As we have come to expect, Spielberg ensures that The Post is as technically and creatively interesting as its story. It isn’t always common that a film about investigative journalism is made to be visually stunning, or have creative elements that set it apart from similar films, but in the hands of Spielberg, it becomes quite notable the additional elements that form the core of the film. Obviously, The Post is not as visually-delightful or technologically-innovative as some of Spielberg’s other films, but there is a certain aesthetic to this film that adds to the thrilling nature of it, rather than defining it. For example, regular Spielberg-collaborator John Williams returns, composing an elegant score that highlights the story, adding to the carefully-constructed narrative that is both thrilling and inspiring. Janusz Kamiński returns as the cinematographer, working with Spielberg for the staggering seventeenth time. Kamiński is a reliable cinematographer, rather than a groundbreaking one, but he does manage to compose some memorable visual images throughout the films he lenses, and The Post is certainly not an exception. The film is beautifully-shot, and while it may not be extremely innovative, it works well in the context of the film. These elements and others, such as the production design and costuming, may not be the most distinctive part of the film, but they certainly help buttress the central themes and emphasize the nature of the narrative, making it far more thrilling than one would expect it to be.

The Post is a terrific film. It is a thrilling, intense political drama, and a wonderful ode to the merits of investigative journalism. Led by a pair of iconic veterans doing some truly fascinating work, and featuring an ensemble cast of tremendous actors, each one being of equal value to the next, The Post soars as a piece of historical filmmaking. It may not be particularly impressive in terms of innovation, and it often relies on the great period dramas that have occurred consistently through cinema, but it is a film that evokes nostalgia and tells its story exceptionally well. I doubt that The Post will redefine Steven Spielberg’s career, but it is a surprisingly rousing film and one that does its true story great justice, as well as being a searing reflection on the current political climate, without being too obvious in such commentary. The Post is a truly wonderful film, and certainly a very special reminder about the virtues of truthfulness and the relentless pursuit of doing what is right, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. That is a theme relevant then and remains relevant today.