A people’s candidate in the Deep South, who was fighting for the rights of people; that’s Willie Stark the main character of, All the Kings Men. He starts out as a good-deeded hick, and then evolves into a power-hungry, corrupt politician. Willie ruins his family and himself in this story. At the beginning we start with a nice family, and a man who wanted what best for the people. In the end, Willie Stark wanted his name all over the state, so people knew who had given them everything. Willie began with a failed campaign as County Treasurer in Canoma Count.
He had lost nevertheless he was renowned by people when the school building collapsed due to faulty bricks. Bricks, bricks that he had fought against them using because they were cheap and from a political contact of the County Treasurer Pillsbury. The state got a hold of Willie and used him the split MacMufee’s vote in the Governor race against Harrision. Willie’s campaign gained steam towards then end of his first governor campaign lost, however he was for certain the next Governor of the state. After Willie’s overwhelming victory, he passes bill after bill for the people.
Aside from this, soon we see his corruptness. He begins to make deals, blackmail those against him, and had countless affairs. Tom, his son, gets into a bind by killing a girl in a car wreck. Willie tried to cover it up and bribe the father, yet he is unsuccessful. Willie comes under suspicion, and is impeached in the house. After he makes a plea to the “hicks” of the state for support they come into town in throngs and protest. Willie impeachment trial in the Senate does not pass. He is a free man. Adam Stanton the brother of one of his mistresses, and the nephew of an advocate, comes out and shoots him.
In turn, Willie’s bodyguard, Sugarboy, takes out his gun and shoots Adam. Willie’s dreams are gone. He is dead. The movie ends right there, and we don’t see what comes of Jack Burden or Adam’s sister Anne. The most pivotal scene in this movie is Willie’s change of character at the County Fair in Upton. Willie has been drinking, which is unusual for him because his wife doesn’t favor it; still Jack finally manages to pull him out of bed and to the fair. He starts his speech by telling the people, that he has prepared a speech about his plans to make the state better, however he figures they already know the problem of their state.
Willie pointed out specific folks in the audience, and at that time he asked them questions. He approached one man saying, “Are your clothes worn because you don’t have the money to buy new? ” then he asked a woman, “Are you kids ignorant, because the school’s just don’t teach anything? ” Posing these questions made the audience think, but what made them see more was when he started his story. This wasn’t some fairy tale; moreover it was a vivid life-story, about a hick, just like them. This hick was raised on a farm, and went to an old one-room schoolhouse.
He worked the farm during the day, and stayed up nights studying his books, with aspirations to become a lawyer. When he became a lawyer he didn’t start thinking’ about the people, but after a school building collapse in his own county it became apparent the people needed him. They praised him, because he had spoken out against the faulty bricks used to build the building. Soon after, some people from the state capitol came up to talk to him. They wanted him the run for Governor, as far as this hick could tell it was because he wanted to be beneficial for the people.
But, that hick was wrong, dead wrong. It was just a trick to spilt some votes. This speech spurred up the peoples’ nerves, and they began campaigning for him. At this moment Willie gains power, the power of the people. They stood behind him until the end, the end where his death came. The movie was effective in bringing out the ways of politicians. They may plan to be exemplary in the beginning, let alone many a time the benevolence turns to a hex. This movie showed many ways of campaigning. Willie Stark didn’t have the mass media we have now still, he had a little bit.
The newspapers helped him. He could run an ad beckoning for the peoples support and they would come to the capitol, just as they did in the end. He kept up a desirable candidate image, with pictures of his family, when they weren’t even really a “true family”. Willie had signs and posters galore, it was an example of how to run a campaign, and truly that’s what added flare to this movie, it was all realistic. Yes, there are decent politicians today, but maybe somewhere down south or even in the north, there is a Willie Stark.
