All the King's Men

Rating: 3/5

Well this freakishly predicted the future...

All the Kings Men boasts both impressive and obnoxious performances. Broderick Crawford, who plays crazed politician Willie Stark, is a strong lead, and Mercedes McCambridge and John Ireland, whose characters are part of his team, are no slouches either. The three, especially McCambridge and Ireland, easily carry the film and make it compelling to watch. The only person I found lacking in this movie was Joanne Dru. Her performance lacked subtlety and fell into the many traps that befell some of the actors from the classic movie era. I love that time period of cinema immensely, but there was without a doubt a trained aspect to many of the performances, and for some people, that heavily stylized acting worked very well, but Dru’s over the top line deliveries and gestures just didn’t blend well with the more down to earth performances that were being delivered by the rest of the cast. 

Though All the Kings Men is memorable enough just as a film, what makes me remember it most is how much it eerily mirrored the current day horrific political climate of when I watched it. I’m behind on my reviews, so I watched this movie roughly a month and a half ago, and this movie focuses on a corrupt politician being impeached, and is so desperate to prove that he’s done no wrong, that he tells his followers they cannot leave the courthouse where the trial is being held until he is declared innocent and allowed to return to his political position. A riot ensues as his followers listen to him. Sound familiar?

1950 Best Picture Winner - All the King's Men

1950 Best Actor in a Leading Role Winner - Broderick Crawford

1950 Best Actress in a Supporting Role Winner - Mercedes McCambridge