All the King's Men is a 2006 film adaptation of the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel All the

King's Men by Robert Penn Warren. It was directed by Steven Zaillian, who also produced
and scripted.

PLOT:
Louisiana newspaper reporter Jack Burden takes a personal interest in Willie
Stark, an idealistic small-town lawyer. Circumstances develop that result in
Stark's being urged to run for governor by a local political leader, Tiny Duffy.
Jack has been raised around politics. He is the former lover of Anne Stanton,
whose father was once governor. Jack was raised by his godfather Judge
Irwin, an honorable man.
In time, Jack and political strategist Sadie Burke reveal to Stark that he is a
dupe in the governor's race, expected to split the vote, spout the party line and
lose. Stark vows not to be fooled again. He defies Duffy publicly and begins to
give speeches with straightforward talk that the public appreciates. He
becomes governor in the next election, using any means necessary. Duffy now
works for him as lieutenant governor. He also has a silent, menacing driver
and bodyguard called Sugar Boy. Finally, he recruits Jack to work for him as an
adviser.
Judge Irwin disapproves, seeing Stark as an opportunist. Anne Stanton seems
to agree and so does her brother, Dr. Adam Stanton. Willie Stark is a
persuasive man and knows how to get his way. He intends to build a new
public hospital and convinces Dr. Stanton, an idealist, to run it for him. He also
begins an affair with Anne Stanton, provoking Sadie's jealousy and Jack's
disappointment.
Criticized publicly by Judge Irwin and embroiled in increasing political
controversy, Stark demands that Jack dig up dirt on the judge to be used
against him. Jack insists that no such dirt exists, but he uncovers evidence that,
many years ago, Judge Irwin accepted a bribe to get his job. Following this
revelation, the judge commits suicide, and Jack suffers great guilt, added to by
discovering that Judge Irwin was actually his biological father.
Stark embraces various corruption necessary to consolidate his power, using
patronage and intimidation to get his way. Told that the hospital is a
fraudulent front project to enable the governor to rob the state and frame him
(although Anne and Jack both say this is not true), Dr. Stanton becomes
incensed when he learns of Stark's relationship with his sister. He waits at the
state capitol and assassinates Stark, and is shot and killed in turn by the
governor's bodyguard.

The truth is that the murder was influenced by Sadie and Duffy, the latter with
the intention to become governor after Stark's death
FACTS:
The story is about the life of Willie Stark (played by Sean Penn), a fictional
character resembling Louisiana governor Huey Long, in office 1928 through
1932. He was elected as a US Senator and assassinated in 1935.
The truth is that the murder was influenced by Sadie and Duffy, the latter with
the intention to become governor after Stark's death
many years ago, Judge Irwin accepted a bribe to get his job. Following this
revelation, the judge commits suicide, and Jack suffers great guilt, added to by
discovering that Judge Irwin was actually his biological father.
Stark embraces various corruption necessary to consolidate his power, using
patronage and intimidation to get his way.

CHARACTERS :
Jack Burden :
Jack Burden - Willie Stark's political right-hand man, the narrator of the novel
and in many ways its protagonist. Jack comes from a prominent family (the
town he grew up in, Burden's Landing, was named for his ancestors), and
knows many of the most important people in the state. Despite his aristocratic
background, Jack allies himself with the liberal, amoral Governor Stark, to the
displeasure of his family and friends. He uses his considerable skills as a
researcher to uncover the secrets of Willie's political enemies. Jack was once
married to Lois Seager, but has left her by the time of the novel. Jack's main
characteristics are his intelligence and his curious lack of ambition; he seems to
have no agency of his own, and for the most part he is content to take his
direction from Willie. Jack is also continually troubled by the question of
motive and responsibility in history: he quit working on his PhD thesis in
history when he decided he could not comprehend Cass Mastern's motives. He
develops the Great Twitch theory to convince himself that no one can be held
responsible for anything that happens. During the course of the novel,
however, Jack rejects the Great Twitch theory and accepts the idea of
responsibility

Willie Stark - Jack Burden's boss, who rises from poverty to become the
governor of his state and its most powerful political figure. Willie takes control
of the state through a combination of political reform (he institutes sweeping
liberal measures designed to tax the rich and ease the burden on the state's
many poor farmers) and underhanded guile (he blackmails and bullies his
enemies into submission). While Jack is intelligent and inactive, Willie is
essentially all motive power and direction. The extent of his moral philosophy
is his belief that everyone and everything is bad, and that moral action involves
making goodness out of the badness. Willie is married to Lucy Stark, with
whom he has a son, Tom. But his voracious sexual appetite leads him into a
number of affairs, including one with Sadie Burke and one with Anne Stanton.
Willie is murdered by Adam Stanton toward the end of the novel
Anne Stanton & Adam Stanton :
Anne Stanton - Jack Burden's first love, Adam Stanton's sister, and, for a time,
Willie Stark's mistress. The daughter of Governor Stanton, Anne is raised to
believe in a strict moral code, a belief which is threatened and nearly shattered
when Jack shows her proof of her father's wrongdoing.
Adam Stanton - A brilliant surgeon and Jack Burden's closest childhood friend.
Anne Stanton's brother. Jack persuades Adam to put aside his moral
reservations about Willie and become director of the new hospital Willie is
building, and Adam later cares for Tom Stark after his injury. But two
revelations combine to shatter Adam's worldview: he learns that his father
illegally protected Judge Irwin after he took a bribe, and he learns that his
sister has become Willie Stark's lover. Driven mad with the knowledge, Adam
assassinates Willie in the lobby of the Capitol towards the end of the novel.
Judge Montague Irwin - A prominent citizen of Burden's Landing and a
former state Attorney General; also a friend to the Scholarly Attorney and a
father figure to Jack. When Judge Irwin supports one of Willie's political
enemies in a Senate election, Willie orders Jack to dig up some information on
the judge. Jack discovers that his old friend accepted a bribe from the
American Electric Power Company in 1913 to save his plantation. (In return for
the money, the judge dismissed a case against the Southern Belle Fuel
Company, a sister corporation to American Electric.) When he confronts the
judge with this information, the judge commits suicide; when Jack learns of the
suicide from his mother, he also learns that Judge Irwin was his real father.

Sadie Burke - Willie Stark's secretary, and also his mistress. Sadie has been
with Willie from the beginning, and believes that she made him what he is.
Despite the fact that he is a married man, she becomes extremely jealous of
his relationships with other women, and they often have long, passionate
fights. Sadie is tough, cynical, and extremely vulnerable; when Willie
announces that he is leaving her to go back to Lucy, she tells Tiny Duffy in a fit
of rage that Willie is sleeping with Anne Stanton. Tiny tells Adam Stanton, who
assassinates Willie. Believing herself to be responsible for Willie's death, Sadie
checks into a sanitarium.
Tiny Duffy - Lieutenant-Governor of the state when Willie is assassinated. Fat,
obsequious, and untrustworthy, Tiny swallows Willie's abuse and contempt for
years, but finally tells Adam Stanton that Willie is sleeping with Anne. When
Adam murders Willie, Tiny becomes Governor.
Sugar-Boy O'Sheean - Willie Stark's driver, and also his bodyguard--Sugar-Boy
is a crack shot with a .38 special and a brilliant driver. A stuttering Irishman,
Sugar-Boy follows Willie blindly.

DESCRIPTION ABOUT TITLE :

The title describes the novel in that, if we interpret Willie to be the "king", the
novel literally focuses on his "men"--that is, the circle closest to him, made up
of Jack, Sadie, Tiny, Sugar-Boy, and the others. The title's allusion to the
Humpty-Dumpty rhyme predicts the novel's action in several ways: in many
ways, the book is about the reconstruction of the character of Jack Burden,
which "all the king's men" are ultimately unable to achieve; then again, Willie
ultimately suffers a "great fall" after which no one can put him back together.

Idealism vs. Pragmatism:

Early on in All the Kings Men, Jack Burden describes himself, ironically, as an
Idealisthe claims that, because he ignores the things he does not want to
know about, he has committed himself to high-minded principles. In practice,
however, Jack Burden is the chief of staff for Willie Stark, the powerful
governor (the Boss) of Louisiana. Burden is not an Idealist, but rather the

oppositea hardheaded Pragmatist, who cares only about getting done what
needs to be done. This tension between Idealism and Pragmatism is a central
tension in the novel.

Politics, Influence, and Power :

Starks achievements as a politician are undeniable in the statethe roads are
improved, for one, and the hospital is to be builtbut some citizens object to
the means by which these changes are effected. Stark has little patience for
the long-standing political institutions and networks in the state. But others,
including members of Burdens own family and friend group in Burdens
Landing (his mother; Judge Irwin; the Pattons) believe that Stark has upset the
political balance in Louisiana, and that his methods will ultimately cause more
harm than good. Stark is a populist politician, meaning that his policies are
intended for the good of the people, and that he can make recourse to these
policies as a means of defeating his political enemies, whom he paints as
corrupt bribe-takers and fat-cats.

ETHICAL AND UNETHICAL ISSUES:

MORAL JUSTIFICATION:
Definition : people are amazingly good at justifying their questionable actions,
particularly to themselves (manipulating others )
Examples:
1.anne Stanton made a secret relationship with stark, but when jack reveals
about it infront of her, she simply justifies herself and says because of you, I
done like that
2. when jack questions the stark about his conduct, he justifies himself as a
moral person and says nothing wrong to do while to protect the power as
governor.

MORAL OVER CONFIDENCE :

Most people think that them as good , their have moral compass, they will
never be led astray, that type of moral over confidence.
Examples:
1. Saddie burke , she always think that he always follows ethics and others
will not and for any mistake happen, she blames the others.
2. Judge Irwin thinks himself as a truthfull person and honourable man in
society. But in reality he takes corruption while he is in on duty ( past ).

Moral disengagement :
It is the process of convincing the self that ethical standards do not apply to
oneself in a particular context.
Ex:
1. to protect his power, stark started to do unethical things like
bribing(corruption),and influences jack to do something harm to judge
Irwin.

Morality :
It means someone modifies their behaviour in social situations, its about
doing good instead of harm.
Ex:
1. jack will take personal interest to support the willie stark in politics.
{ explain the character of jack about his honesty, trusty person,}, but
he act as detective to help the willie stark.

Moral diplomacy :
Support given to person who has same morals.
Ex: jack thinks that stark have same moral values like him and started doing
help to him

Unethical issues :
His early political activities were erected towards the welfare of the people,
but his increased need to preserve it transform the honest politician into a
truthless governor.

He used his persuasive powers to benefit people in the lower economic

classes, like free text books in schools, new buildings & roads, construction of
university, redistribution of wealth, but he started collecting money from
power and oil companies as fund to his political party.