Movie Review: "All the King’s Men"

Introduction and Plot to the Movie

“All the king’s men” is a film that was staged and produced in the year 2006 after an adaptation of the one produced in 1946. It has indeed won the Pulitzer Prize. It is based on the same novel by Robert Penn Warren. It was directed by Steven Zaillian who also acted as the scripter and producer of the same movie. The movie is a story that revolves around the life of a fictional character that resembles Louisiana Governor Huey Long. There are other minor roles in the movie with Kate Winslet, Patricia Clarkson, among others starring. This version of the movie is more faithful to the narrative than that of 1946.

Indeed, it seems that Zaillian never watched the earlier movie and thus developed this whole film right from the original script by the author Warren. The filming of this movie took place in New Orleans in the city of Morgan, in Donaldsonville. This was in the state of Louisiana. The premiere of the movie was held at the Toronto festival on the 11th of September, 2006. This was when it was first screened to the public and the press. Another special screening was done at the Tulane University in New Orleans on September 16th the same year.

In the movie, newspaper reporter Burden is really interested in Willie who is an idealistic lawyer in the small town of New Orleans. Circumstances have forced him to run for the post of Governor in Louisiana. He is advised to do this by a political leader known as Duffy. He has been raised in a political family leading the corresponding lifestyle. He has his ex-lover Stanton whose father was also a Governor. He was raised by Judge Irwin a very honorable man and his step-father. He is later to be judged by the very judge on counts of his misconduct in a public office, which becomes the epitome and the backbone of the whole sagas in this movie.

The Movie Review of the “All the King’s Men”

Just from the analysis of the plot of the movie, it is clear that this looks like a replica of the actual novel by Warren. Many would consider this movie as a repeat of the version that was produced in 1946, but it looks more detailed and inclined to the original script than the previous production. Peen has come out as the best actor in this film as compared to the early actor in the Crawford series. As the forces of nature are cropping up on Willie, Penn has really brought out this whole idea of natural circumstances in the lives of individuals in the immediate society, and this makes the movie fit very well into the current contemporary world. He has brought in this through his personal powerful moments in the movie in a very intriguing and illustrated manner. As much as this, he brings a single-dimensional character that is not brought forward by Warren in his novel.

The epitome of this movie is seen when there is a self-description of a hick who rises from no proper background to capture the coveted Louisiana governor’s seat. This shows how society could be challenging to the most powerful at times in the avenue of power in politics. Some leaders could emerge from very humble backgrounds as opposed to the rich and the mighty in the society. This is in line with the landslide vote rule that had just been passed in the constitution of the land. This is evidenced in the real-life episode portrayed by Huey in the original script by the author. Here, the director captures the long unforgettable stumping style commonly characterized in the political lives of individuals. The movie has patched up the halos left by the author in his work to bring forth the theme of politics in the movie in a much clearer way and manner.

When Burden betrays his class and the calling to serve Stark, Jude Law comes into place, and his acting skills make the narration of the book and the film similar in one way or another. The film is packed with lots of platitudes, and yet it offers very little to the audience who are occasionally left baffled in between the scenes of the movie. The movie creates the issues of Burden as the name of the character says. He tries to put this character in a situation where he is forced to carry the weight and adversaries of the corrupt Louisiana state on his back. This is seen as a civil action on the part of the director and producer of the movie. This explains the relentlessness of jack to the Judas goat status (Warren 78). However, the rampant flashbacks to his childhood lifestyle destroy the belief in this story at all.

From the way Burden’s childhood sweetheart behaves as played by Kate Winslet by becoming one of the many women courted by Stark, it is evident that Stark is a flame in which there is more to a human than is laid bare to be seen by the public. The moths in the house seem powerless, especially in his presence. They even circle and drop dead in the incinerator. This shows how politically powerful this individual is seen in the public domain. He goes to relentlessly investigate the judge, and the flashbacks, in this case, reveal that the character was immersed into the world of money and has been concerned with lots of economic issues.