There is nothing more engaging than a ’70s political thriller. Based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, “All the President’s Men,” directed by Alan Pakula and written by William Goldman, is one of the most enthralling, engaging and realistic films of the “new Hollywood” era. The first 20 or so seconds feature an extreme close-up of a piece of blank paper — so long that you think your player has stalled — until BAM! The loud and ferocious punch of a typewriter’s type bar nails some letters to the empty canvas. And we’re off.
In the film, Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) is assigned to cover a burglary at The Watergate Hotel — a back page story — until some deeper digging reveals the recording bugs the burglars were carrying may have been part of something much larger. Joining Woodward on the story is long-time reporter Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman). The two then “follow the money,” as one of Woodward’s anonymous sources suggests. However, getting those involved to talk is like pulling teeth. Little by little, more names and information are leaked to the two reporters. For a story relying so heavily on the audience’s attentiveness to names of government officials, documents and paperwork, you’d think this movie could be in the running for the most boring film of all time. But, it’s the opposite.
Gordon Willis’ cinematography is a key reason why this film is so enthralling. He shoots the film as if it’s a Spaghetti Western, with wide, sprawling shots of the D.C. area and The Washington Post newsroom. It lends the film a massive scale and enhances the isolation felt by Woodward and Bernstein as they work against the odds. Additionally, the natural performances of the entire cast, tied in with real television footage of then-President Richard Nixon’s administration, help keep the film grounded in reality.
“All the President’s Men” is an excellent display of paranoia at its most upside-down: the people trying to tell the truth are forced to doubt it, coming under threat from those in power who are trying to silence them. But the truth has a way of coming out, and the work of these two journalists is a hopeful reminder that even the president can be held accountable.
