Many have compared this movie to Citizen Kane (which came before it) and A Face in the Crowd (which came nearly 10 years later), but All the King's Men is loosely based on a real politician, Huey Long, and has all the fixings for a great American political story about the rise of a well-meaning populist and how greed, endless graft, and control of the media can lead to corruption and ultimately fascism.
The story takes place in an unnamed, seemingly fictional state, which could be California, or could be Arizona, or could be Nebraska. The location doesn't matter as politicians who got into the game to right the wrongs of the country, and tragically become thirsty for the absolute and unchecked power of a dictator, can come from any state.
Willie Stark starts off as a Mr. Smith (from Hollywood) or Henry Wallace (from American history), someone who wants the Government to truly provide for the people, from hospitals offering free care and public schools in buildings that are not deteriorating. But the one caveat that separates him from a Wallace or FDR type: he doesn't want tax payers to fund it. No more taxes! (Sound familiar?) So where does the funding come from? Enter the graft.
It's an American tragedy in the end: A good man who doesn't even drink liquor becomes a monster by the finale. Greed. Power. Alcoholism. Cynicism. Corruption. Cult-like worship. God complexes. Putting his name over every highway, school, and sports stadium in the state. Setting the narrative in the media. Urging followers to assault protesters at his rallies. Planning a coup by the military and his supporters to stop him from getting impeached. It's all there. Given the events of the last 6 years in the U. S., this movie is arguably timelier now than it was in the early '50s.
Broderick Crawford was an interesting actor. Physically, he could have been your favorite uncle or grandfather. His only vice at the start of the movie is an addiction to....orange soda pop. He even lives with and supports his elderly father and is married to a school teacher. His transformation to a greedy, alcoholic, womanizing, corrupt dictator wannabe happens very quickly in the movie.
This movie was remade in 2006 with Sean Penn as Stark, but it could now be adapted into a limited mini series, as a longer running time would make the character arc stronger. Still a solid political drama that still packs a punch.
The story takes place in an unnamed, seemingly fictional state, which could be California, or could be Arizona, or could be Nebraska. The location doesn't matter as politicians who got into the game to right the wrongs of the country, and tragically become thirsty for the absolute and unchecked power of a dictator, can come from any state.
Willie Stark starts off as a Mr. Smith (from Hollywood) or Henry Wallace (from American history), someone who wants the Government to truly provide for the people, from hospitals offering free care and public schools in buildings that are not deteriorating. But the one caveat that separates him from a Wallace or FDR type: he doesn't want tax payers to fund it. No more taxes! (Sound familiar?) So where does the funding come from? Enter the graft.
It's an American tragedy in the end: A good man who doesn't even drink liquor becomes a monster by the finale. Greed. Power. Alcoholism. Cynicism. Corruption. Cult-like worship. God complexes. Putting his name over every highway, school, and sports stadium in the state. Setting the narrative in the media. Urging followers to assault protesters at his rallies. Planning a coup by the military and his supporters to stop him from getting impeached. It's all there. Given the events of the last 6 years in the U. S., this movie is arguably timelier now than it was in the early '50s.
Broderick Crawford was an interesting actor. Physically, he could have been your favorite uncle or grandfather. His only vice at the start of the movie is an addiction to....orange soda pop. He even lives with and supports his elderly father and is married to a school teacher. His transformation to a greedy, alcoholic, womanizing, corrupt dictator wannabe happens very quickly in the movie.
This movie was remade in 2006 with Sean Penn as Stark, but it could now be adapted into a limited mini series, as a longer running time would make the character arc stronger. Still a solid political drama that still packs a punch.