All the President's Men

source: All the President's Men

Trailer—All the President's Men

All the President's Men

This could very well be the best political thriller ever made - in any event it is certainly the best of 1976! The account follows the painstakingly search for the truth behind the Watergate-scandal and the two relentless journalists Bernstein and Woodwards efforts to uncover the mystery. It is top-excitement from the first to the last frame, and it is my opinion that both Hoffmann and Redford do their very best work in this movie! The supporting cast is exceptionally good, including such solid actors as Martin Balsam, Jason Robards (he is fantastic!) and Jack Warden. The film is without any doubt the best work ever from acclaimed director Alan J. Pakula! You can watch this fabulous film again and again. It does not seem to date a bit!

Journalistic exploits of two Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, who broke the Watergate scandal in 1973 which eventually lead to President Nixon's downfall and resignation. Tough, talky, but fascinating chapter of political history benefits from the odd, disparate pairing of Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, although Jason Robards got most of the kudos--and a Supporting Oscar--as newspaper editor Ben Bradlee (who is, unfortunately, turned into the very same character we've all seen sitting behind the police sergeant's desk in various crime pictures: barking at his minions to get the job done or else!). Alan J. Pakula, a director with an overwhelming sense of detail and structure, was a good choice to helm this project, but his rhythm is still doggedly slow. Excellent supporting cast includes Hal Holbrook, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, and an extraordinary Jane Alexander. **1/2 from ****

The recent revelation that FBI agent Mark Felt was Deep Throat brings up Watergate again. I guess that if "All the President's Men" was made nowadays, it would be a little different. But regardless, it is a great movie. With Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford as Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, respectively, the movie keeps you on the edge of your seat, even though you know how it ends. Also, knowing that the Watergate scandal forced Nixon to resign, it makes us hope that Bush's shenanigans force him to resign...and then some. The truth is that Watergate wasn't the most vicious thing that Nixon ever did - that dishonorable mention goes to the escalation of the Vietnam War, the "Dirty Tricks" campaign to spy on protesters, and the destruction of the Black Panthers and the American Indian Movement.

Whenever I look at this film I am always struck by it for several different reasons. One is the fact that this is a look into the recent history of the United States. Thirty years ago, Richard Nixon and his shadow government was just one step away from totally destroying the two party system in this country and if it weren't for the expose' of Woodward and Bernstein American politics would be a lot different today. Also, this is a great detective story. The digging that WoodStein did showed that they were willing to do anything to get to the truth about what was going on. But perhaps the thing that really made this film great was the fact that this was a true story. Too bad that it only won three Oscars (best supporting actor Jason Robards, best adapted screenplay and art direction). This film was certainly miles ahead of what beat it out, the original Rocky.

A perfectly executed 70s thriller based on true events, facts, evidence and performed with precision by two of the finest actors of their day and with a great supporting cast to boot. Both frightening and alarming but probably not by today's standards where few things have the power to raise but a solitary eyebrow and, those in charge, at the highest level, seem impervious to the laws and traditions that affect the rest of us. You know you're being watched, surveilled, spied upon - you might not know by whom or by what or when - but they know who you are and there's certainly nobody with a broad oesophagus standing in the shadows to help you out.

We're in June 2017 and "All The Presiden's Men" from 1976 reminds us that film, sometimes, is the strongest historical document we've got. The Washington Post raising alarm signs then and now. Alan J Pakula is one of the greatest directors of his generation. Jane Fonda during her AFI Lifetime Achievement Award told us that working with Alan J Pakula was like dancing with Fred Astaire. Here the chemistry between Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman is such that, at times, it feels like a romantic comedy, warts and all. Astonishing. Hal Holbrook as Deep Throat gives the feeling of "thriller" to this incredible story. We know how the story ends but that doesn't diminish our nervousness that it's perhaps a bit of impatience, just like now in 2017, to see justice be done.