All the Presidents Men (1976)

 All The Presidents Men is directed by Alan J. Pakula and came out in the UK on the 29th April 1976 and it follows two journalists of the Washington Post (Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein) as they investigate the Watergate break in that led to the resignation of President Nixon. As they get more involved, people are unprepared to talk or go on the record and the race is on to try and find the truth. 

This is a very well-directed film. There are several moments which just look amazing and at no point was I ever bored. I would be lying if I said I understood what was going on at any point during the film but that’s the reason why I like it because you understand everything you need to from Woodward and Bernstein. The final shot is of the camera zooming in as Nixon gets sworn in for a second term whilst Woodward and Bernstein are typing away at their keyboards and then the camera goes past the TV and it just rests watching these two. 

Something that takes a while for me to notice every time I see this film and that is there is no instrumental music. Nothing to tell you how you should be feeling or highlighting whether a scene is important or not. There is barely a moment of silence and when there is, it’s used to heighten suspense. 

Partly the reason why the film works so well is because of Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford. Both actors play the roles perfectly as they complement each other by being determined to get to the story and not playing well with others. There is a moment fairly early on when Redford’s character says to Hoffman’s ‘I don’t mind what you did, I mind you way you did it’. As the film progresses their relationship softens a bit but there is still something in the way they talk to each other in pretty much every scene they are in together.

There is something that slightly bothers me about the ending because it seems to suggest that the film isnt going to be wrapped up because it stops long before Nixon resigns but then it chucks in a few screen shots of a typewriter explaining what happens to various people including Nixon and it just feels bolted on at the end. That’s really it as far as problems with the film. All The Presidents Men is brilliant film. This is a film that could be watched with The Post which examines the events before Watergate and ends pretty much as the events of this film start. Even if you don’t want to watch that film this remains a brilliantly told story and thoroughly engaging film.