All the President’s Men

(Dir. Alan J Pakula) (1976)

Paranoia sometimes reflects the truth.  The White House was obviously paranoid about everyone; the FBI was paranoid about the White House, and Carl Bernstein was paranoid about the New York Times.  Lots of shoe leather gets worn out in this film and lots of dead ends and bum steers and waiting in dark parking stations finally pay off for Woodward & Bernstein of the Washington Post, in the scoop of the century.

 

 

 

 

 

Redford, Hoffman, Robards, et al are superb and whilst the facts get a bit lost in the shuffle, the essential thrust of courageous persistence for the truth comes through.  Nixon is a genuine tragic figure in that he was brought down by the acts of underlings that today would be managed by a statement of regret at a presser, coupled with a distracting good news story unveiled at the same time.  Modern politicians learned from Watergate, and not all of the lessons were salutary.