Clint eastwoods biopic of j edgar hoover never gets to grips with the fbi founders sexuality, or his impact on american life. Edgar hoover 1993, journalist anthony summers quoted society divorcee susan. Edgar is a 2011 american biographical drama film directed, produced and scored by clint. Edgar 2011 this is a particular kind of movie the based on fact biopicdone with great attention to period accuracy. Edgar 2011 this is a particular kind of moviethe based on fact biopicdone with great attention to period accuracy. Edgars release early this month, hundreds of agents have griped about the film on xgboys, a closed email list for fbi retirees that takes its name from one of hoovers pet. He pulled the doubters along with him through sheer force of will.
Edgar hoover of the fbi cashiering the mustachioed. As the face of law enforcement in america for almost fifty years. If anything, hoovers guilt over staying behind probably added to. Edgar, which tells the controversial story of the life of the man who built the fbi and ruled over it for almost half a century, comes out next week. John edgar hoover was born on january 1, 1895, in washington, d. Edgar hoover collaborated with the immigration and naturalization service to revoke his re. Edgar hoover collaborated with the immigration and naturalization service to revoke his reentry permit. Edgar hoover, the controversial former director of the fbi, americas national law enforcement agency.
Most presidents before him, though, had had cause to fear hoover or. He singlehandedly created and helmed the most powerful law enforcement agency in the world. Edgar hoover was appointed head of the bureau of investigation boi, the fbis predecessor agency, in 1924. Edgar hoover has been the passion of author richard hack for nearly two decades, leading him to write the book, puppet master. In his biography of hammer the tycoon, not the actor called dossier. Edgar presents an understandably fictionalized portrait of the notorious fbi director. There had been a history of mistrust between local and federal investigators.
Edgar hoover, controversial fbi director for nearly. Edgar hoover was the head of the bureau of investigation from 1924 until he died in 1972. That evening, hoover tells tolson that he cares deeply for him, and tolson tells hoover that he. The individual is handicapped by coming face to face with a conspiracy so monstrous they cannot believe it exists. Edgar is a workmanlike production that should garner an oscar nomination for leonardo dicaprio, but its not a great motion. Written by dustin lance black, the film focuses on the career of fbi director j. His methods were at once ruthless and heroic, with the admiration of the world his most coveted prize. Edgar hoover, the longtime, controversial director of the federal bureau of investigation. Edgar hoover 18851972 was director of the federal bureau of investigation fbi for 48 years, reshaping that organization into a highly effective investigative agency. Edgar hoover was also a man very much caught up in his own myth, and the film does a good job of showing that. Edgar hoover, controversial fbi director for nearly five. Edgar hoover, with very strong but somewhat implied prohomosexual sentiments that side with a longtime associate who allegedly according to the movie wanted to be hoovers homosexual lover and that posits that hoover was a repressed.
Hoover was feared, admired, reviled and revered, a man who could distort the truth as easily as he upheld it. The american mind simply has not come to the realization of the evil which has been introduced into our midst. And why not, for the memo that james comey reportedly wrote about a meeting with president trump is positively hooveresque in its potential implications. In the movie j edgar, long sequences are devoted to his supposed role in tracking down the murderer of the aviator charles lindberghs baby son. While the movie raises questions about hoovers sexuality that it doesnt answer, theres no actual sex in it though one scene features apparent recorded noises of an amorous couple.
Under the administrations of coolidge, hoover, roosevelt, truman, eisenhower, kennedy, johnson and nixon, he was, many believed, the second most powerful man in government. Edgar hoover created, shaped, and wielded an impressive amount of political power in the fbi, but the mans intense focus on those who would harm americans also left him. He was appointed as the director of the bureau of investigation th e fbi. Edgar hoover leonardo dicaprio becomes one of americas mostpowerful men. It has been widely speculated that hoover had yet another side to him, that he was a closeted homosexual who shared a marriagelike intimacy if not carnal pleasures with clyde tolson, his second in. Edgar stars leonardo dicaprio, naomi watts, armie hammer, josh lucas the r movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 17 min, and received a score of 59 out of 100 on. The secret life of j edgar hoover film the guardian.
Charlie chaplin was such a concern to the fbi that j. When the fbi starts to become movie heroes in the popular culture, hoover begins to believe the hype that he is the supercop crusader and commander depicted in the movies, comic books and. Edgar hoover is a difficult subject to approach as a film, he was a man liked by almost no one, and feared and loathed by many, which makes him difficult to use as a sympathetic character, and indeed most of the time hes not. The first director of the fbi, he remained in office for 48 years, from his appointment after the first world war to his death in 1972, achieving fame and. Naomi watts fares equally well as helen gandy, hoovers longtime secretary. Edgar hoover, which is this idea that he was a crossdresser. Edgar hoover leonardo dicaprio told by hoover as he recalls his career for a biography. He puts on her dress and her necklace sort of in homage to her but also as a symbol of his tortured sexuality. On top of that, leonardo dicaprio is excellent, very professional. J edgars preferred targets, going so far as to go after them instead of the mob as discussed with robert kennedy.
If thats whats important, getting a bit of american history into a vivid big screen format, then this works pretty well. Edgar, a sweeping profile of the longtime head of the fbi, isnt anywhere near as good. In real life, while hoover postured as the sherlock. Edgar hoover leonardo dicaprio tells a young fbi agent the story of his life, which is presented through a series of flashbacks, beginning with the bombing of attorney general palmers house in 1919. The life and career of john edgar hoover should make a juicy movie. Early in his career, hoover fixated on communists, anarchists, and any other revolutionary taking action against the u. J edgar s preferred targets, going so far as to go after them instead of the mob as discussed with robert kennedy. Coming from a modest background, hoover commenced his career as a clerk and soon became a government official at the department of justice. John edgar hoover january 1, 1895 may 2, 1972 was the first director of the federal. Edgar hoover biography childhood, life achievements.
When that agency was reorganized as the federal bureau of investigation in 1935, he became its first director. Edgar movie synopsis, view the movie trailer, get cast and crew information, see movie photos, and more on. Edgar explores the public and private life of one of the most powerful, controversial and enigmatic figures of the 20th century. Edgar is the relationships with the few people closest to him. Sadly, this movie makes seemingly every mistake that milk so adroitly avoided. After graduating high school, he worked at the library of congress while taking night school. With leonardo dicaprio, armie hammer, naomi watts, josh hamilton. Without him, fingerprinting might still be ignored.
Nov 11, 2011 two women influence the story albeit in small doses. Edgar hoover returns to the spotlight as the clint eastwood biopic j. Edgar hoover led the fbi for decades and became one of the most influential and controversial figures in 20th century america. J edgar hoover was a us government official who served as the first director of the federal bureau of investigation. Dec 28, 2011 that is the movie s one gesture toward one of the most famous sort of pseudo facts about j. Nov 12, 2011 timothee chalamet, armie hammer and steven gaydos at the 2018 texas film awards duration. And, although hoover generated a variety of passionate responses from individuals throughout the 20th century, theres nothing in this movie that provokes much in the way of an emotional connection with or against him. Edgar hoover was a worldclass intimidator, who used his manipulative skills and power to build the fbi into a national crimefighting force. Edgar stars leonardo dicaprio, naomi watts, armie hammer, josh lucas the r movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 17 min, and received a. Edgar focuses on both hoovers career and his personal life, especially the neverdefined relationship with longtime companion clyde tolson armie hammer. Edgar hoover joined the justice department in 1917 and was named director of the departments bureau of investigation in 1924. If anything, hoovers guilt over staying behind probably added to his later zeal. The first director of the fbi, he remained in office for 48 years, from his appointment after the first. When charlie chaplin left the us in 1952 to promote his movie limelight, j.
Kenneth ackerman separated fact from fiction in hoovers legacy. The film stars leonardo dicaprio, armie hammer, naomi watts, josh lucas, and judi dench. He slowly builds the agencys reputation, becoming the sole arbiter of who gets hired and fired. Given these matters, and the additional fact that the screenplay for clint eastwoods j. That is the movies one gesture toward one of the most famous sort of pseudo facts about j. Edgar hoover, with very strong but somewhat implied prohomosexual sentiments that side with a longtime associate who allegedly according to the movie wanted to be hoovers homosexual lover and that posits that hoover was a repressed homosexual because of his mother. Now he has been dead for 39 years, and what most people. His agenda shaped federal law enforcement for half a century until his death in 1972. Edgar hoover birth date january 1, 1895 death date may 2, 1972 education george washington university place of birth washington, d.
He built the bureau into a mighty law enforcement agency but also perpetrated abuses that reflect dark chapters in american law. Garrow, david j, the fbi and martin luther king, jr. This is the second installment of our factcheck film series. Edgar hoover, hed be happy to tell you the facts about himself. Edgars curse a novel french editor gallimard 2005, isbn 2070773795. Edgar hoover leonardo dicaprio was the head of the federal bureau of investigation for nearly fifty years. When his father began to suffer from mental illness, a niece told me, hoover couldnt tolerate the fact. Edgar is a 2011 american biographical drama film directed, produced and scored by clint eastwood. Starring leonardo dicaprio as the titular lead, the movie follows three different threads of the mans historic life. Edgar hoover, with james wainwright as the young edgar, broderick crawford as the elder hoover, june havoc as his mother and dan dailey as tolson.
Edgar hoover was the nominal author of a number of books and articles, although it is widely believed that all of these were ghostwritten by fbi employees. The movie addresses most of the controversies surrounding hoover. Rororo, hohoho, pcpcpc, rhrh, ac, b, l, v, ss, n, a, d, mm very strong romantic worldview about the founder of the fbi, j. Judi dench portrays hoovers strikingly imperious mother. John edg ar hoover january 1, 1895 may 2, 1972 was the first director of the federal bureau of investigation fbi of the united states and an american law enforcement administrator.
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