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All the King's Men
A man of humble beginnings and honest intentions rises to power by nefarious means. Along for the wild ride are an earnest reporter, a heretofore classy society girl, and a too-clever-for-her-own-good political flack.
Release : | 1949 |
Rating : | 7.4 |
Studio : | Columbia Pictures, |
Crew : | Art Direction, Set Decoration, |
Cast : | John Ireland Broderick Crawford Joanne Dru John Derek Mercedes McCambridge |
Genre : | Drama |
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best movie i've ever seen.
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Blustery Oscar Winning Performance from Broderick Crawford with support from John Ireland and Mercedes Cambridge (also an Oscar), and garnering the Best Oscar of all, the Best Picture winner, Robert Rossen's Cutting-Edge Political Expose still Cuts it Today.It's a definitive Classic that Transcends Time and its Message is the same, only the Suits have Changed, and the Media. The Movie is Powerful in its display of the Human Condition with the Emphasis on a Flawed System with Flawed People who seem Powerless by the Corrupting Influence.It's Arguable whether this is the Norm or the Acception to the rule, and History can make a Case for both. What is given here is the Dark Side and it is so Dark that some have called this a Film-Noir.The Pace is Frantic and the Characters are Engrossing. The Seedy and Sleazy Story pulls few Punches and Stretches the Limits of the Motion Picture Code. It's Mesmerizing the way the Film Crams the Frame with many People with much Loud and Searing Dialog. The Viewer is Caught Up in the Whirlwind of Leadership Shenanigans, shining the People on while delivering Roads, Hospitals (with free health care, "Not Charity but a Right"), Schools and other Governmental "Gifts" to the People."I'm going to soak the Rich and spread it thin.", says Willie Stark. Overall, a Movie Ahead of its Time and an Acclaimed Picture all around. Disturbing, Downbeat, and all too Real. The few Dated aspects might be hard to Overlook, but Not that hard Considering.
All The King's Men won Best Picture back in 1949 and it kind of sums up the format of the distilled half-rousing political Oscar bait type movies we still get today. It's a pretty good film, as are many of the films that followed it, but it's one that could have been great with a bit more boldness and focus. It's a cramped film, and that's a blessing and a curse. It gives it atmosphere, but there's no depth. The frame is always cramped, the film is constantly bombarding you with engaging sequences and the ensemble is bloated. Each are quite entertaining and interesting on their own but its whiplash pace makes something that should hold more weight feel light instead. The ferocious performances from its Oscar winning leads make up for it though and ideally facilitate the melodrama, if not add any dimensions to the characters. Unfortunately the empty lead was a complete waste of space. I'm not sure if he was even necessary. But otherwise, All The King's Men is a very good film about the folly of power, but you can find better in more ambitious and timely classics such as Citizen Kane and Network.7/10
The rise and fall of a corrupt politician (Broderick Crawford), who makes his friends richer and retains power by dint of a populist appeal.So this was based on a novel that was inspired by Huey Long... but keep in mind it is not the story of Huey Long. No matter how much you want to say it is, and how many links you want to draw, it is not. (Because if it is, they told a completely different story from the reality.)What this actually is, is a story about corruption and power, plain and simple. It may not be true that "everybody wants to rule the world", but many people do. And many are willing to cut corners, take bribes and other dastardly things to help them succeed. Granted, as much as we dislike it, there is a certain amount of this that is politics as usual and may not ever be cleaned up. But then you have guys like Willie Stark who take it beyond the boundaries of good sense...
i was mesmerized by this film from the beginning.i thought the story was great,i as was the writing.the dialogue was also well written.especially the first fiery speech given by Broderick Crawford's character,Willie Stark.i can find no fault with the acting,especially Crawford.i thought he was brilliant.i couldn't take my eyes off him.talk about a powerhouse performance.the movie really packs a powerful wallop to the stomach.the story of political corruption and greed is just as topical(if not more so)today and could easily be based on one of many of our present day politicians.would the film be as good without the brilliant performance of Broderick Crawford.we'll never know.and that's just fine.for me,All the King's Men is a (1949) is a 9/10