This election year is reminiscent of both the 1968-1972 political atmosphere, and it is also similar to WWII – where there was global upheaval like we’re seeing here and all over Europe. Nixon was a secretive president – on the level of Donald Trump, which was probably why it took Deep Throat (Mark Felt) to blow the whistle on his illegal activities. Felt was a republican. Both Edward Snowden and Julian Assange fancy themselves on the level of Daniel Ellsberg but indeed both are great pretenders out of notoriety, with little or no care for consequences. Ellsberg, however, helped reveal to the American people information they needed to know about the Vietnam war.
Spielberg’s film stars Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks and is going to cause Breitbart Generation to flip out. Expect much backlash. Variety reported the story, saying the film is getting a December 22 release date. It will likely be screened well before then – I hope it goes to Telluride. Then it has a better shot at winning Best Picture.
The heavyweights this year are already starting to stack up – with Dunkirk, of course, right at the top of the list.
Steven Spielberg’s untitled Pentagon Papers drama announced itself as a major awards season contender in this year’s Oscars race.
The publishing of the Pentagon Papers freaked out Nixon, and was partly the reason he began down the hole that would end his presidency. Ironically, the Pentagon Papers were published in the Washington Post, by then editor Ben Bradlee. Bradlee also oversaw the Bob Woodward/Carl Bernstein Watergate story which made even bigger history. Streep will play the publisher Katharine Graham who isn’t in All the President’s Men but is referred to in the great line:
Hanks will play Bradlee, a role that won Jason Robards an Oscar. You can find out more about Daniel Ellsberg here.
