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Title: All the Kings Men View count: 381 Rating: 5.0 (1 ratings) Description: http://www.filmchannel1.com/hotshots ALL THE KING'S MEN is not so much a remake of the 1949 award-winning film as it is a new version of the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Robert Penn Warren on which both films were based, and you can expect this version to win awards, too. The first film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, and don't be surprised if this film does the same next year, because Hollywood loves a good story. The story, of course, is based on the rise and fall of Huey Long, who was known as the "Kingfish" and who was the governor of Louisiana and later a U.S. Senator. However, the story is not really the story of Willie Stark, the character based on Long and played brilliantly by Sean Penn, as it is the story of Jack Burden, played by Jude Law, a young man of wealth and privilege who narrates the film and becomes disillusioned with what could be called "the American Dream" as he accompanies Stark on his political career to clean up politics and help the poor people of Louisiana. The story could also serve as a warning to anyone idealistic enough to enter politics for noble reasons, as it shows once again that "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Or, to put it in simpler terms, as Willie tells Jack, "Boy, you work for me 'cause I'm the way I am and you're the way you are." Willie calls himself "a fellow hick" when he runs for governor and throws away a prepared speech, saying nobody helped a hick except a hick himself. He wins the election in a landslide, and his promises to the poor people of Louisiana become a declaration of war on the rich. Then a retired judge, played by Anthony Hopkins, sides with some fellow conservatives to try to impeach the governor. Jack is asked to use his connections to influence the judge to change his position, which compromises Jack's idealism, in addition to dredging up his past, which becomes painful to him. You might believe that there is too much foreshadowing of what is going to happen, but then again you might guess wrong. ALL THE KING'S MEN is great looking all around, well acted, and deserving of any future awards. Tags: all, the, kings, men, Author: filmchannel1 |
