Most of the Hollywood movies I’d like to see make it to Copenhagen, but sometimes there is a delay, which explains why I saw The Post this afternoon.

Each spring, I have an Oscar contest in my Introduction to Film and Media Aesthetics course, and the student who correctly guesses the winners in the most categories earns lunch or trip to the movies on me.

Brennan enjoyed his first movie in Copenhagen along with popcorn and, naturally, a chocolate/licorice sweet.

He also enjoyed the film, though he probably didn’t have as much context for events unfolding on the screen as I did. The Post is a true story that centers on the decision by the publisher of The Washington Post to publish The Pentagon Papers, classified documents detailing the decades-old involvement of the United States government in Vietnam leading up to and during the war.

Officials knew the war was not winnable but kept troops on the ground and lied to the public about “progress” being made in the war even as casualties continued to grow.

My only complaint about the film (minor) is that the music took me out of the events in some of what were supposed to be more reflective moments (sorry, John Williams), but otherwise Steven Spielberg delivers a compelling and timely drama.

It’s unfortunate how timely the film is…

On the bus back from the city center, Brennan and I talked about the resonances between the antagonistic relationship Richard Nixon had with the press and the one that Donald Trump has now.

We also noted how many of the issues raised in Michelle Wolf’s monologue at the White House Correspondent’s Association dinner about the relationship between politicians and the reporters covering them parallel issues raised in The Post, as well as how important the subtext of gender is throughout the film.

On the bus, I also suggested that Brennan might enjoy the Academy Award-winning documentary by Errol Morris from 2003, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara. McNamara figures prominently in The Post, of course, and the documentary is a wonderful companion film to provide additional perspective and some different insights into the decisions that mired us in the Vietnam War.

The Post is an important and inspiring movie. That it ends with the Watergate break-in telegraphs what’s coming next, and makes me want to sit down and watch All The President’s Men right now.

To return to  parallels between events central in The Post and contemporary events signals that the investigations and controversies of the current administration are far from over.

As a daily reader of both The Washington Post and The New York Times, watching this film brings me a special kind of joy. I think we need more films like The Post and Spotlight that celebrate the hard work and courage exhibited by journalists.

After all…”Democracy Dies in Darkness.”