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| ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976) | |
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In the light of Deep Throat's true identity, I reminiscence through Alan
Pakula's dramatic true story, All the President's Men (1976), about
journalism that brought the presidency to its knees. Journalism is a
tedious and meticulous job that requires checking and rechecking of
information in order to have the truth revealed. This is a job that journalists
do on a daily basis, but also must realize that information might not
always be readily available, and thus they must be available whenever
wherever. This requires hardened diligence without remorse, as there
are phone
calls, interviews, and the long waits for availability of people with
significant information. Information is all that matters while it
often leads people in wrong directions both intentionally and unintentionally. Deep Throat was one of the significant guides that
steered the journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward in the direction
of the White House.
The first sound and the sudden impact of the letter J triggers a rippling effect that captures the audience's attention and curiosity. The typewriter types out the date June 1, 1972, which prompts the question why. This scene is cut to archived footage with a helicopter arriving with president Nixon whose every single move is reported through a voice in the background. Pakula efficiently displays the power of the president in this short sequence, as Nixon walks into the Congress to an overwhelming sound of applause and a long escort of men in suits where he is about to address the nation. Some days later and a stone throws away from the Congress five burglars entered Democratic Party's National Committee offices at the Watergate Hotel. If it was not for an alert security guard this story might never have came to the attention of Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Woodward (Robert Redford). Further investigation showed that these men had connections with the CIA and later connected with the Finance Committee to Re-elect the President, which had bread crumbs leading all the way to the White House. The story offers an intricate perspective of the struggling effort that both Bernstein and Woodward had provided in order to get the story moving. Numerous scenes with diligent questioning and scribbled notes pave the path to the Water Gate Scandal and the fall of Nixon with the guidance of Deep Throat who we now know as the former deputy director of the FBI, W. Mark Felt. Much of the success with All the President's Men rests on the shoulders of Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford, as both performed like genuine journalists without selfish agenda while only trying to get the truth out there. These two prominent actors comprise the backbone of the film while Pakula's direction helps delivering an authentic story focused on the accumulation of information, which he does through interesting scenes of note scribbling, phone calls, and interviews. The editing done by Robert L. Wolfe is outstanding, as it cleverly pieces together the story with a narrative that induces a follow the thread feel. In addition, several of the supporting cast members provide excellent performances that tie the main characters into a story that feels and looks authentic, almost as if the audience was there at the scene of the interviews sitting next to either Bernstein or Woodward. In the Oscars in 1977 the film brought home four of its eight nominations. In retrospect, Pakula brought together a large amount of people to make a film about one of the biggest scandals in history and came out victorious with a remarkable film about why good journalism must be independent and provide a transparent view of the government. |
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| Alan J. Pakula | |
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USA |
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| REVIEWED | |
| BY KIM ANEHALL – 6/26/2005 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
