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All The President's Men
R4 - Australia - Warner Home Video Review written by and copyright: Noor Razzak and Shahir Daud (20th April 2006). |
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The Film
 Illegal wire-tapping, fraudulent use of the intelligence community, government cover-ups that lead all the way to the President: Surely a film about the 1972 Watergate scandal couldn’t be relevant today, could it? I’ve always had a particular fondness for the early work of Alan J. Pakula. Klute (1971), All The President’s Men and The Parallax View (1974) have always been the most exemplary cinema essays on institutional corruption. It was a tragedy when Pakula passed away in 1998, not only because we’d lost a wonderful talent, but also because his best work was so far behind him. In the rush to produce films about 9/11 (Oliver Stoneand Paul Greengrass are both finalising edits on their respective films about the 9/11 hijacking), I wonder what Pakula’s take on that particular incident would have looked like. But All The President’s Men is still as significant today as it was in its time (released within 4 years of the Watergate burglary, the film was incredibly timely and sharp in its criticism), and alongside George Clooney‘s Good Night and Good Luck serves as a timeless lesson on the role of the fourth estate in keeping the government honest. Following the investigation by Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) of the infamous Watergate burglary, and its roots in the heart of the Nixon administration, All The President’s Men offers an unflinching and unusually complex glimpse at the procedures involved to uncover a conspiracy. In the process, Bernstein and Woodward (whose book the film is based) conjure up one of the great mysteries of American journalism: Deep Throat. He may have become an ironic figure in the mythology of conspiracy theories (the smoking man of X-Files fame is certainly a derivative), but he still suggests one of the most romantic notions in Government institutions: the gatekeeper of the secrets of a nation, not at liberty to divulge (and therefore not liable), but willing to help, and determined for the truth to come out. The revelation that Deep Throat was former FBI deputy director Mark Felt opens up more questions about his motivations: Was Felt simply a disgruntled public servant who was seeking retribution after being passed for promotion? Or was he genuinely concerned by the lack of constitutional fidelity as practiced by the top brass of the administration? Politics aside, All The President’s Men is a striking piece of filmmaking bravura. Stealthily understated and surprisingly stylised at the same time, Pakula and cinematographer Gordon Willis craft a stark Washington D.C., whose corridors of power are equally overwhelming and beautiful. The pressroom sequences still contain some of the most haunting uses of space, which for my book is on a par with the deep caverns of Charles Foster Kane’s Xanadu in Orson Welles‘ Citizen Kane (1941). Add to this the wonderful use of sound, which like the similarly themed Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece The Conversation (released in the same year, 1976), manages to convey an entire world with the unique and rich sound scape. Films that stay with me forever are ones, which I can watch, over and over again, and discover something new with each viewing. All The President’s Men is a deep labyrinth which I lose myself in every time, and manage to emerge from invigorated, energized and yearning for more, no matter how old it gets.
Video
Presented in the film's original theatrical ratio of 1.85:1 widescreen this anamorphic could have been much better, especially considering the cinematography is so crucial to the overall atmosphere. I found it to be overly soft and blacks were not entirely bold and lacked detail, in some night scenes it was hard to make out what action was happening at times. Colours are natural and skin tones were balanced, I found no evidence of any colour bleed which is nice. Warner’s have a history with presenting catalogue titles with new and restored transfers but it seems like they didn’t take the time required to get a totally pristine image for this one, which is a shame. Although flaws are evident it was watchable and entirely distracting.
Audio
Three audio tracks are included, an English Dolby Digital 5.1, Castellano and Hungarian Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround. For the purposes of this review I chose to view the film with its English Soundtrack. Much like the image I wasn’t entirely overwhelmed with the audio track, although it is a 70’s film which is largely dialogue based and therefore doesn’t rely heavily on the surround channels. Dialogue is clear and distortion free however the track doesn’t have the depth required to create a suitable atmosphere. Optional subtitles are also included English, Spanish and Hungarian.
Extras
DISC ONE: First up we have a feature-length audio commentary with producer / actor Robert Redford, this being his first ever recorded commentary. Redford provides a wealth of information regarding the film’s production covering many aspects, he goes into incredible detail that will please many film fans. He may appears a bit dry and exact at times for some but anyone with a minor interest in film production and the subject matter behind this film should find something noteworthy among his comments. Also included on this disc is the film’s original theatrical trailer as well as a bonus trailer for Rollover. DISC TWO: "Telling the Truth About Lies: The Making of All the President’s Men" which runs for 28 minutes 15 seconds and is a newly produced clip that covers the subject matter and the investigative journalism that broke the story as well as Redford’s mission to get this story to the big screen. The casting and the film’s director involvement are also looked at as is the photography and set design. Overall this is a very interesting and informative clip that covers most of the bases. "Woodward and Bernstein: Lighting the Fire" featurette runs for 17 minutes 50 seconds and takes a closer look at journalism then and now as well as the importance of investigative journalism and the impact this story had on the nation and among the journalistic community. This is one of the best extras in this set and has more substance in it’s nearly 18 minutes than most recent featurettes I’ve watched. "Out of the Shadows: The Man Who Was Deep Throat" featurette runs for 16 minutes 20 seconds and takes a closer look at the man that was Deep Throat, former FBI deputy director Mark Felt and provides a background of his career and his possible motivations for doing what he did. Pressure and the Press: The Making of All the President’s Men" is a vintage featurette that runs for 10 minutes and is the original EPK clip produced during the production of the film and includes your usual content of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage plus the occasional clip from the finished film. After the featurettes you’ll find the Dinah! with Jason Robards" this is a talk show episode which originally aired on May 25, 1976. We only get the segment with Robards and runs for 7 minutes 8 seconds. Robards discusses his character and the challenge in playing someone that’s a real person. Warner Brothers have continually put out excellent Special Editions and this is yet another example, well produced extras that not only cover the film’s making but also the history behind the actual events.
Overall
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