Whether it is in the United States or Pakistan, the press is under fire today by men who see no sweeter way to tighten their hold on power than by controlling the narrative. Impartial journalists interested in only relaying the truth to the public are often a thorn in the side of the sort of leadership that doesn’t want to be held accountable.

Drawing haunting parallels with the present and reminding us of the importance of the freedom of the press is Steven Spielberg’s The Post, a skillfully made and gripping political thriller that dramatises a snapshot from American history.

The film begins in the 1960s, when military analyst and future American activist Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys), alongside a handful of colleagues, photocopies classified documents that reveal how futile the Vietnam War truly was and how complicit the American government had been in the needless deaths of scores of its own people as well as shady conspiracies in Asia.

The Vietnam War, which lasted from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s, and where one side was backed by communist giants such as the Soviet Union and China while the other was supported by anti-communist allies led by the US, was of course an absolute catastrophe for the Americans and incredibly unpopular with the American people. These classified papers in no uncertain terms pointed the finger at several American presidents as well as Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara (Bruce Greenwood) who, for no other reason than to save face, escalated the war further when he knew it was a death trap.

At the heart of Spielberg’s The Post is the age-old dance between the newspaper’s editor and publisher

The Post examines how these papers, which would be pivotal in ending the war, are initially leaked to The New York Times before soon-to-be-disgraced President Nixon clamps down hard on journalistic freedom in order to aggressively exercise damage control. Then, the publishing duties are taken over by The Washington Post, which today is considered the main rival of The New York Times, but back then was a smaller publication looking for growth through investment. For the Post, publishing these papers was a terribly risky idea.

At the heart of The Post is the age-old dance between the newspaper’s editor and publisher, where the editor is primarily concerned with journalism while the publisher tries to make sure the editor doesn’t set the entire business on fire. Here, the editor of The Washington Post, Ben Bradlee, is played by Tom Hanks while the publisher, Kay Graham, is played by Meryl Streep. The two acting legends are at the top of their game with outstandingly nuanced performances. Streep, in particular, is brilliant as a widow who has taken over from her husband in very much a man’s world and takes a gutsy decision against pressure from just about every adviser she has when the fate of her beloved publication is in the balance.

The Post features an ensemble cast and every actor is really good but my favourite is Bob Odenkirk (Ben Bagdikian), who fans of Breaking Bad will recognise as Saul Goodman. Here, Odenkirk plays the sort of nosy low-profile yet highly resourceful old-school reporter every film of this kind should feature.

Speaking of old-school, I suppose a weakness of The Post is that it is somewhat formulaic, especially if you’ve seen dozens of other Spielberg films, though I enjoyed the moments where it let go of its Spotlight (2015)-like grit for some style and flair. One of my favourite moments was when the printing press kicks into gear and as a viewer I could almost smell the freshly-baked crisp newspapers. I also enjoyed how the film is paced, making scenes of exposition and depictions of backroom handshakes and politics appear thrilling. But where The Post truly triumphs is in its timely message.

Rated R for pervasive language, some sexual content and violence

Published in Dawn, ICON, January 21st, 2018