All the King's Men (1949) Review

Title: All the King's Men
Year: 1949
Director: Robber Rosson
Country: US
Language: English

All the King's Men (1949) is a timeless picture due to its ever-relevant political discourse regarding the dangers of populism, The main character, Willie Stark (Broderick Crawford), seems to harbor the same personality that many current politicians have. The film serves as a good warning that it's fairly easy to slip into fascism. 

The film portrays the rise and fall of a corrupt politician, who makes his friends richer and retains power by dint of a populist appeal.

The power of populism seems to engulf Willie Stark, whose good intentions have been devoured by the cynicism and harsh realities of the political system. The polarization of politics give the audience an uneasy feeling regarding the nature of his character. Did he ever have morals? Does he have morals? Is he a dictator or is he the voice of the people?  Sadly the film doesn't show much of his journey. We see him as an honest man & then corrupt. 

The film's documentary-style shooting, combined with a noir atmosphere, create a unique looking film for the time. The cinematography and set design are adequate. All the King's Men is an intelligent film, but I found Citizen Kane (1941) and A Face in the Crowd (1957) to be far more entertaining pictures that capture nearly the same idea. 

All the King's Men was a dangerous and incendiary picture for the time. It was risky to make this picture as many people, including John Wayne, considered it communist propaganda. There's a lot to appreciate about the film, but I understand why it hasn't stood the test of time.