MPAA Rating: PG/Genre: Biographical Political Thriller/Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jason Robards, Jane Alexander, Stephen Collins, Ned Beatty, Meredith Baxter, Penny Fuller, Penny Peyser, Lindsay Crouse, Robert Walden, F. Murray Abraham, David Arkin, Richard Herd, Henry Calvert, Dominic Chianese, Ron Hale, Nate Esformes, Nicolas Coster, Joshua Shelley, Ralph Williams, Gene Lindsey, Polly Holliday, Carol Trost, James Karen, Basil Hoffman, Stanley Bennett Clay, John McMartin, John Devlin, Paul Lambert, Richard Venture, John Furlong, Valerie Curtin, Jess Osuna, Allyn Ann McLerie, Christopher Murray, Frank Wills, and Richard M. Nixon as himself/Runtime: 138 minutes
I think it can safely be said that there are two distinct categories which can make up integral moments in the history of the United States of America. The first is those kinds of events that not only immediately made quite the impact on Americans, but which also lead the way for other equally as significant events to occur in the fabric of world history to say nothing of making quite the impact on both the generation it happened to, but generations after it as well. For example a pair of planes being hijacked by terrorists and horrifically slammed into two towers in New York City one September morning in 2001 would lead the United States to engage in a seemingly never ending conflict in the Middle East with particular regard to the countries of Afghanistan and Iraq respectively. On the other hand, there are events which occur that might have started out small and seemingly insignificant, but by the time they were done being unraveled wound up having huge ramifications. I think it can definitely be said that the Watergate scandal is definitely a perfect example of that second group. Indeed here is an event that started out as being viewed by everyone from the public to most major news outlets as nothing more than a simple, run of the mill break-in at the Democratic National Headquarters in Washington D.C. Yet even though the majority of the news outlets, both of the print and TV variety, dismissed the story and just decided to move on to other stories, there was a pair of reporters who thought there was definitely more to it than just a “simple break-in”. Their names were Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and what they eventually discovered during their investigation would do more than just shake Washington politics of the early 70s to its core. Rather, it would also cause both a significant decrease in the amount of trust that everyday citizens much like you and I place in the government as well as an equally as significant increase in the amount of skepticism bestowed upon the elected officials of this country by the people who elect them to their positions. Oh and it also resulted in a slice of cinema from 1976, and film I happen to be reviewing for you today, known as All the President’s Men. A film that if I’m being honest is one that I consider to be a bonafide classic. To be sure, it won’t be for everyone and no it’s not perfect, but with the aid of top-tier work on both sides of the camera All the President’s Men is a riveting, intriguing, and insightful yet also cautionary tale. Not only about the abuse of political power, but about the impact that genuinely good and persistent reporting can have on the world around us.
The plot is as follows: An adaptation of the 1974 book of the same name, All the President’s Men takes us as an audience back to 12:30 AM on June the 17th, 1972. A time when most people would either be working the late shift, out partying with friends, or tossing and turning in bed because they would rather not have to get up in about 5 and a half hours to go to work. Yet in Washington D.C., that’s not all that people seem to be doing. I say this because it isn’t long into our story that we see a security guard working at the Watergate complex discover what looks like evidence of a break-in and proceeding to do his due diligence in the form of calling the police who shortly thereafter arrive and subsequently arrest a group of 5 men found breaking into the main HQ for the Democratic National Committee which is located somewhere on the premises (I say somewhere because I don’t exactly have a map of the building in front of me). At any rate, we soon see that the next day this seemingly otherwise routine incident inspires a discussion which soon concludes with the Washington Post’s local news editor, one Harry M. Rosenfeld, making the executive decision to give the story to a fairly new reporter on staff named Bob Woodward since the paper feels that this is an incident of only minor importance. A belief that is quickly dismissed by Woodward when, upon heading to the burglars’ arraignment, discovers they have some pretty hefty legal power in their particular corner to say nothing of the fact that the burglars are also quickly tied by Woodward to a man by the name of E. Howard Hunt. A man who, among other things worth knowing about him, just so happens to be someone with intricate ties to the Nixon White House’s counsel Charles Colson. It is at this point in our story that we see a fellow reporter on the Post by the name of Carl Bernstein decide that he too wants in on this particular story. Not just because he enjoys his job, but because something about this one is telling him there might just be more significance to it than it might initially be presenting itself with. Thus, and despite their initial differences, we see that the pair are soon doing everything they can to get to the bottom of a story that might have seemed simple, but which by the time it has concluded and they have gotten to where this particular path winds up, will have done more than change the lives of our heroes forever. Rather, it also may or may not be one that wound up changing the history of politics in the United States of America forever too. As for what our two heroes wind up discovering to say nothing of the aforementioned impact that it had however that is something which I think I shall, in the spirit of investigative journalism at its finest, let you discover for yourself….
Now right off the ol’ ballot, it should be noted that the work done by the assorted groups working behind the camera on this particular cinematic outing is all, by and large, absolutely outstanding in every sense of the word. Without question, this starts with the work done in the director’s chair by Alan J. Pakula (1971’s Klute, 1974’s The Parallax View, and 1993’s The Pelican Brief) and this is definitely one of the crown jewels in his filmmaking resume. Indeed not only does Pakula do a incredible job here of deploying a pitch-perfect pace that does an effective job of both keeping you hooked right from the word go whilst also slowly yet surely building suspense in a way that is sure to keep you, the viewer consistently engaged with the film, but he also contributes a wonderful degree of attention to detail as well. As a result, not only does every location in the film including the newsroom of the Washington Post feel honest to how it actually looked at that point in time (though the fact that the film was made only 4 years post the events depicted in the film probably didn’t hurt either), but even the depiction of certain journalistic practices engaged in by Woodward and Bernstein throughout the film also give the whole affair a welcome breath of authenticity that it definitely needed to work on the level that it is ultimately able to. Besides the masterful and Oscar-nominated job done by Pakula at the helm, this slice of cinema is also the blessed recipient of a terrific, Oscar-nod worthy screenplay as penned by the brilliant William Goldman (1976’s Marathon Man, 1987’s The Princess Bride, and 1975’s adaptation of The Stepford Wives). Yes there are a few miniscule bits here and there that don’t entirely gel, but overall there is no denying that Goldman’s work here is extremely successful in changing what could have been, in another writer’s hands, a bland as watching paint dry narrative and giving us a story that instead proves to be completely engrossing right from frame one. Besides the work done by the aforementioned pair of departments, this slice of cinema also comes equipped with some outstanding work from Gordon Willis (The Godfather trilogy, 1986’s The Money Pit, and 1977’s Annie Hall) in the cinematography department. Indeed not only does Willis brilliantly engage in shooting this film more like a documentary than a fictional take on the story thus better showcasing the inherent suspense of Woodward and Bernstein’s investigation to say nothing of the kinetic atmosphere present at the Washington Post, but his brilliant utilization of as much natural light as possible and a very minimalistic style definitely aid in conjuring up for the film a vibe of both realism as well as significance respectively. Last, but most assuredly not least this section would not be complete if I didn’t devote at least some part of it to the work done by David Shire on this film’s musical accompaniment. Indeed it might not be heard that often in the film, due in large part to how significantly dialogue dependent the film is for the most part, but when it does come up there is no denying that Shire’s work here most assuredly does a terrific job at reinforcing both the tempo and the atmosphere established by the rest of the crew respectively. Suffice it to say that when you factor in award-caliber work done by the editing department and spot-on work from the costume department among others, it’s clear that the teams behind the camera are all operating at or near the pinnacle of their respective abilities which results in their efforts here being no less than movie magic at its finest through and through.
Of course, in addition to the aforementioned exemplary work done behind the camera, it also most certainly does not hurt this slice of cinema in even the least that the work done in front of the camera by the impeccable and extremely well-chosen cast of talent manages to be just as phenomenal in its own right. Without question, this starts with the work done by screen legend Dustin Hoffman (1967’s The Graduate, 1991’s Hook, and Shifu in the Kung Fu Panda films) and this is definitely one of his crowning achievements as an actor. Indeed as Carl Bernstein, we see that Hoffman provides audiences with a wonderful look at a guy who is not only dogged and determined in his attempts to do whatever it takes to get to the heart of the story, but who is equally as skilled in utilizing rather unorthodox yet undeniably effective techniques to collect intel from potential sources. More than that, we see that Hoffman has a terrific back and forth with Redford that, despite the individual differences between them, really helps them not only work well as a team, but also highlight the distinct strengths that each of them respectively brings to the table. Speaking of…I guess it should also come as no surprise then to learn that as terrific as Hoffman is here, his performance here is matched incredibly well by the one given by screen legend Robert Redford as Bob Woodward. Indeed as Woodward, we see Redford succeed in showcasing for us a reporter who, at the beginning of the story, might be a bit on the inexperienced side, but who as the film goes on presents us with a guy who is every bit as determined as his partner in getting to the bottom of the story. Yet whereas Bernstein is more passionate in terms of his reporting, we see that Redford’s Woodward is someone who is a bit more on the methodical and analytical side especially in making sure that whatever they are about to send off to print is both accurate and well-substantiated. Suffice it to say that it’s a pair of terrific performances from 2 actors who are easily among the best talents of their respective generation. Lastly, but by no means not least this section would not be complete if I didn’t talk about the spot-on performance given by Hal Holbrook as Woodward’s enigmatic source “Deep Throat”. Indeed he might only have 25-30 minutes of screentime tops, but Halbrook does a fantastic job of giving us a character that is without question cryptic and secretive yet whose insight is undeniably important to our dynamic duo in getting to the heart of this puzzle they are knee-deep in the middle of. Suffice it to say that when you also incorporate incredibly effective work from such talented individuals as Oscar-nominated support work from Jason Robards Jr. (1993’s Philadelphia, and 1983’s Something Wicked This Way Comes) who is brilliantly irascible as Post editor Ben Bradlee, Jack Warden (1980’s Used Cars, 1957’s 12 Angry Men, and 1995’s While You Were Sleeping), the always delightful Martin Balsam (1957’s 12 Angry Men, the 1974 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, and the original Psycho from 1960), Ned Beatty (the voice of Lotso in Toy Story 3), an Oscar-nominated supporting turn from Jane Alexander (1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer and 1989’s Glory), Meredith Baxter, Lindsay Crouse, Robert Walden (Joe Rossi on the TV show Lou Grant), noteworthy character actor James Karen, Basil Hoffman, and F. Murray Abraham among others it’s clear that this slice of cinema might have a few miniscule issues scattered about, but without any doubt in my mind I can definitely say that the work done by this cast is not one of them by any stretch of the imagination.
All in all and at the end of the day there is no denying that, a few teeny tiny issues especially in regards to moments of questionable accuracy aside, All the President’s Men is a bonafide masterpiece to say nothing of an absolutely gripping thrill ride from beginning to end and every intriguing minute in between. Not just in terms of its respective genre of movie magic nor with respect to the decade in which it was first released. Rather, I mean in terms of cinema through and through. Indeed the work done at the helm by Alan J. Pakula is easily some of the best he ever gave movie goers during his time as a member of the land of movie magic, the score for this film might be utilized sparingly, but I promise that when it is utilized it is most assuredly quite effectively, the cinematography is absolutely well-done in every sense of the word, the script (despite the aforementioned teeny tiny historical inaccuracies sprinkled throughout) does prove to be an absolutely remarkable faithful adaptation of the source material while also ensuring that the film is able to keep you on the edge of your seat rather than checking your watch or getting a 2-plus hour nap out of the proceedings, and the performances by the nothing short of impeccable and spot-on cast of talent (with particular regard to the turns given here by Hoffman, Redford, Robards, Balsam, Warden, and Holbrook) are all incredible with everyone involved bringing their individual A-game here no matter how much or how little their amount of screentime they are given in the grand scheme of things turns out to be. Above all though, it is my distinct opinion that the reason All the President’s Men is such a vital and integral piece of cinema close to over 5 decades since it first came out is because of the fact that it also functions as an incredibly important reminder. Not just of the value that a free press can have for a country when it needs it most, but also that the press has a very important responsibility. That being no more and no less than to ensure that those who are given the opportunity to serve in an office of political prominence are held accountable if or when they engage in actions that are a violation of the trust that those who voted them into said office bestowed upon them. Something to remember not just back then, but even now at this intriguing point in the history of the United States and forever more as well. Make of that what thou will dear reader! On a scale of 1-5 I give All the President’s Men “76” a solid 4.5 out of 5.
