Review of All the President's Men (1976) by Stuart E — 28 Oct 2009

There have been many classic on-screen partnerships. Greats such as Redford/Newman, De Niro/Pesci, Tracey/Hepburn and Lemmon/Matthau have all managed to generate that chemistry, which in turn provides the backbone essential for any film to succeed.

Alan J. Pakula's 1976 film 'All The President's Men' is a perfect example of screen chemistry. Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford play off each other with a vibrant confidence and flair, which allows the viewer to get inside the characters and live the life of a newspaper journalist.

During the run-up to the 1972 presidential election a break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters, Watergate Hotel, leads Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) on a trail, which would uncover one of the most controversial moments in U.S. history.

Woodward's investigation begins when he attends the initial hearings of the accused 'burglars' only to discover that a team of top lawyers have suspiciously been assigned to their defence. Executive Editor of the Washington Post, Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards), assigns Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) to the case to help Woodward in the investigation.

As the two reporters get stuck in to this story they begin to unearth some unsettling facts which in turn leads them higher up the Republican party ladder and finally into President Nixon's White House.

You don't have to be politically driven to appreciate this kind of film. 'All The President's Men' is about pure grit and determination to tell the truth. After a few scares the paper still went ahead with the story all of which was on the shoulders of Bradlee. Had this story crumbled due to lack of evidence then it could've brought an abrupt end to the Post. However the papers persistence came through which inevitably led to the Washington Post wining the Pultzer Prise for its coverage of the 'Watergate' scandal and to the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

William Goldman's screenplay is both intoxicating and relentless in it's efforts to adapt Bernstein's and Woodward's book. Pakula successfully bridges the gap between politics and drama providing one of his best movies to date.

Outstanding performances include Robards Oscar winning 'Ben Bradlee' and Hal Holbrook's short but effective role as the informant. But of course it's Hoffman and Redford who stand out with moments of what can only be described as improvisation coupled with intense realism making 'All The President's Men' a recommendation worthy of it's subject matter.