J. Edgar

I know this is not the latest movie around but I only watched it recently. It promised to be a fascinating one, depicting the life of J. Edgar Hoover, the man who made the FBI what it is today. A very powerful institution.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead role to near perfection. The movie takes us through the various life stages of Hoover’s life, as he turns from a young ambitious man to one who has his own, even against the various presidents of the United States.

Controversial yet effective, Hoover used all means to guard his country against anything he perceived as a threat. And of course, to keep himself in charge. Keeping personal files including the dirt and scandals of various presidents, he could bully almost anyone.

On a personal front, he was a troubled man. Dominated completely by his mother, she held the strings that moved him. Having lived with her till her death, Hoover never raised a family of his own. Rather, he stayed confused and enjoyed a rather peculiar relationship with Tolson, his confidant and associate director. He also had a quite loyal personal secretary, Helen Gandy, who destroyed his personal files after his death.

The movie portrays not only a man but an institution itself. J. Edgar Hoover’s story is synonymous with the story of the FBI and how it became such a powerful entity. It is intriguing and quite worth the watch.