All the King's Men
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Broderick Crawford, Joanne Dru, John Derek, John Ireland, Mercedes McCambridgeBrand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0; English (Published), Dolby Digital 2.0
Format: Black & White, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 110 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-09-05
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of All the King's Men
Movie Review: "I'm going to stay in this race! I'm on my own and I'm out for blood!"
Summary: 5 Stars
I have never read Robert Penn Warren's original novel, and if I ever did, I would probably have mixed feelings about this 1949 film adaptation. Some say that it misses the spark that made the novel so engaging. Well, even though I haven't read it, I still find the film to be an instant masterpiece. Loosely based on real-life Louisiana Governor Huey Long, Willie Stark rises to power in order to conquer corrupt politicians. Unfortunately, he slowly starts to become one of those whom he tried to prevent. Jack Burden (columnist and, later, Stark's right-hand man), Anne Stanton (Jack's lover), and Sadie Burke (Stark's assistant) are the driving forces of the story as they mainly become the POV's in the entire film. This is a very solid 40's film about power, corrupt politics, and people's misperceptions of true politics. It has a splendid ensemble of actors: the performers "become" the characters almost perfectly. It is well-directed: Robert Rossen has obviously put a lot of effort into this film. It is also well-written: again, I haven't read the original novel, but I can already tell that the overall script is crisp and intriguing. But I think the thing that stands out the most is the acting by Broderick Crawford. He is absolutely spot-on as Willie Stark. I swear he has the perfect look, the perfect voice, and the perfect personality for the character. It's almost tragic that Crawford is no longer well-known, especially in the new millennium, but we still have this to remember him by.
Now, there are two problems I have with this movie (not very big ones, but still noticeable). The first is the uneven pacing. The second half of the film is slower than the first half, which makes for unbalanced storytelling. The other problem I have is the narrative. The voiceovers done by John Ireland are distracting and do not seem like a great way to tell the actual story. Still, the film finds its own way of showing how corrupt politicians can be. Now mind you, this is NOT like Citizen Kane, which is rightfully considered to be one of the greatest movies of all time. But All The King's Men is different in many ways, such as the politics and the motives of the main character. And while Citizen Kane is more masterfully directed and more cinematically influential, it's not one of my personal favorites (and I'll explain why in my written review of the film later on). All The King's Men is on the list of my favorite films of all time, and while it is far from perfect (it does look pretty dated), it is a well-told tale of political corruption. I love it for its cleverly written script, its well-developed characters, and of course, Broderick Crawford's stunning performance (he deserved the Oscar win). As of now, I haven't seen the 2005 remake. I've heard of all the negative reviews, but maybe I'll give it a shot. I'll probably rent it when I have the time. But for now, the original still stands as an underrated film classic. Buying this on DVD instead of renting it was the right choice for me.
Grade: A-
Summary of All the King's Men
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