‘All the King’s Men’ builds on film’s reputation
By Scott Bowles
USA TODAY
Friday, August 5, 2005
If you’re going to remake a classic film, director Steven Zaillian
says, there’s one way to make sure your movie won’t be eclipsed by
the original.
Don’t watch the classic.
“I avoided that film like the plague,” Zaillian says of 1949’s All
the King’s Men. His version of the movie, starring Sean Penn and Jude
Law, opens Dec. 16. “I didn’t want to catch myself making a version
of the old one.”
Zaillian’s movie treads on hallowed ground: The 1949 film, based
loosely on the life of Louisiana governor Huey Long, won three Oscars,
including best picture, actor for Broderick Crawford and supporting
actress for Mercedes McCambridge, and was nominated for four more.
The 1946 book on which the two films are based is just as celebrated,
having won the Pulitzer Prize for author Robert Penn Warren.
So why venture into such vaunted territory? Zaillian, who won an
Oscar for his Schindler’s List screenplay, says the book’s themes of
politics, greed and corruption are timeless.
“The questions the book raised – Do the ends justify the means? Can
you be corrupt and still do good things? – are still pretty relevant,”
he says.
Men tells the story of Willie Stark (Sean Penn), a Southern politician
who rises to power by appealing to the common man while cutting
backroom deals. The story is told through the eyes of his right-hand
man, Jack Burden (Jude Law), who ultimately opposes Stark’s ruthless
political tactics.
Men features a cast that knows its way around an awards ceremony. Oscar
winner Anthony Hopkins, nominee Kate Winslet and Emmy winners Kathy
Baker and James Gandolfini have roles in the film, set and shot in
Baton Rouge.
But will awards committees recognize a movie title already so
decorated? No remake of a movie that won an Oscar for best picture
has won a best-picture Academy Award.
“Remaking the best picture could be seen as an obvious ploy,” says
Dave Karger, who covers the Oscar race for Entertainment Weekly. “Then
again, the first movie got so many nominations, the subject matter
obviously has something going for it.”
Winslet says that the five-decade break between films should be enough
to make the movie seem fresh.
“I hadn’t even heard of the first movie until Steven begged all of
us not to watch it,” she says. “That got me interested, but I stopped
myself and just read the book.
“I don’t think people are going to see this as old, or even a remake,”
she adds. “It’s about a politician who does corrupt things and manages
to (tick) a lot of people off. When isn’t that happening?”
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