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Film: All the King's Men

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Banquo

Bluelight Crew
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Dec 6, 1999
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5,701
Anyone see this?

IMDb:
Based on the Robert Penn Warren novel. The life of populist Southerner Willie Stark, a political creature loosely based on Governor Huey Long of Louisiana.

Sean Penn .... Willie Stark

Jude Law .... Jack Burden

Anthony Hopkins .... Judge Irwin

Kate Winslet .... Anne Stanton

Mark Ruffalo .... Adam Stanton

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405676/
 
This was a remake of a 1949 classic.

While I haven't seen the new one yet, the original version was quite good.

It's pretty savage in its attack on the American political system, and the filmmaking is smooth, energetic and and intelligent. It borrows heavily from Citizen Kane, in terms of visual style and content, though Kane is still a vastly superior film.

Willie Stark, a grass roots politician with a penchant for honesty, climbs his way into the upper echelons of the political machine and in doing so, flees from the moral high ground he holds at the film's opening. The transition is rather abrupt, leading the viewer to question whether Willie ever had honest and pure intentions or was a selfish egomaniac from the start (there are several clues that suggest the latter). He is ultimately consumed by his own power, and it destroys his personal and political life while dragging down those around him.

I personally am fascinated by larger than life characters: Charles Foster Kane, Darth Vadar, Achilles, Howard Hughes, etc... and the character of Willie Stark doesn't fail to capture my attention and hold it. Broderick Crawford carries the role perfectly, with a sweeping performance full of bombastic energy. Several of the political speeches he gives are a fine example of the synthesis of great writing and great acting. If only modern politicians could make speeches even 1/3 as good as the ones in this film, the modern political landscape wouldn't be nearly so bogged down with apathy. These speeches belong to a wholly different era, when political personalities had fire and life and could rouse crowds with their words and ideas (Hitler anyone?) in a way that today's stale political cadavers can only dream of. The writing is sharp, crisp and intelligently explores the corrupting influence of political power, boldly and unapologetically probing the notion that corruption, greed and moral compromises are inextricably linked to politics.

One of the last in a long line of Hollywood "social issue" films from the 1940s, this one hits its mark better than most. It doesn't get dragged down by contrived melodrama, lame narrative or a stale romance. It flows, and the performances are all very good. It's no wonder Sean Penn felt compelled to try and recapture the magic but, though I haven't seen it yet, I'm sure he failed.
 
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