The first trailer for Steven Spielberg’s new film The Post sets it up to be one of the most timely movies of the year.
Only six months ago, in May, Spielberg began production on his new film. Now, with less than a month and a half until its limited release, the first trailer is available. There is a good reason why 20th Century Fox, Amblin Entertainment, and Spielberg are pushing so hard and so fast for The Post to come out this year: this story has never been more timely.
Check out the trailer below!
The film begins in the summer of 1971 after thousands of pages of secret documents about the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War were leaked to The New York Times. The documents detailed an extensive cover up by the U.S. Government to hide details of the U.S. army’s actions.
President Richard Nixon, unhappy with The New York Times decision to publish the papers, attained a court order barring the newspaper from publishing after only a few of the pages were released. Sound familiar?
This censorship at the hand of the federal government, particularly through the arm of the Office of the President, is all too relevant given today’s political climate.
Starring Meryl Streep as Katherine Graham and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee, the publisher and editor of The Washington Post respectively, The Post follows their struggle with the implications and risks of publishing the leaked documents themselves.
With the Nixon administration willing to take on and silence The New York Times, a dark cloud hangs over The Washington Post’s investigation and their attempts to publish the Pentagon Papers.
The official poster for The Post is also now online.
The poster seeks to highlight its two biggest stars, so much so that their names are larger than the title of the movie.
The Post will no doubt be one of the biggest movie events of the year, particularly heading into the heat of awards season. Like him or not, Spielberg is one of the most prolific directors of the time and is rarely ignored by the Academy.
Moreover, The Post assembles an all-star cast led by Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, including Alison Brie, Sarah Paulson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford, Carrie Coon, and more.
Despite a strong cast and relevant story, it remains to be seen whether Spielberg can turn The Post into a hit. The rushed production process could easily have a negative impact on the film’s quality. Not to mention the film’s attempt at timeliness might easily come off as sanctimonious, or worse, reductive of the subject’s complexity.
There’s no doubt that, on paper, The Post reads as one of the biggest contenders for Best Picture at the Oscars next year, but that all rides on whether or not Spielberg and company can pull it off.
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