20th Century Fox has released a new behind-the-scenes featurette for the upcoming dramaThe Post, which is notable in that it gives a tiny look at how aSteven Spielbergmovie is made. The film chronicles the Washington Post’s decision to publish the Pentagon Papers in the face of strict opposition from the Nixon White House, which took both the Post and the New York Times to court over the publishing of what they deemed sensitive documents, which revealed that the U.S. government over numerous presidencies knew the Vietnam War was unwinnable, but kept sending more soldiers anyway.
This featurette is mostly focused onTom Hanks’ performance as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee, with Spielberg discussing his fifth collaboration with the actor afterSaving Private Ryan,Catch Me If you may,The Terminal, andBridge of Spies. The film’s other stars, includingMeryl Streep, also talk about Hanks’ worth ethic and specific performance here, bringing a larger than life character to the screen. It’s made all the more impressive given that the actors hadverylittle time to prepare, as Spielberg read the script in early 2017 and was shooting in May.
I’ve seenThe Posttwice now and it’s an incredibly entertaining watch. It’s certainly timely, but its chronicle of Streep’s Kay Grahame is almost more compelling, as it tells the story of a female publisher in a man’s world, finding the courage to stand up for herself and make the ultimate call on one of the most important pieces of journalism in history.
Check out the newThe Postfeaturette. The film also starsBob Odenkirk,Sarah Paulson,Tracy Letts,Bradley Whitford,Carrie Coon,Matthew Rhys,Jesse Plemons,Bruce Greenwood,Michael Stuhlbarg,Zach Woods, andDavid Crossand expands nationwide on January 12th.
Here’s the official synopsis forThe Post:
Steven Spielberg directs Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in The Post, a thrilling drama about the unlikely partnership between The Washington Post’s Katharine Graham (Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), as they race to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spanned three decades and four U.S. Presidents. The two must overcome their differences as they risk their careers – and their very freedom – to help bring long-buried truths to light.
