All The President’s Men: 10 Ways It Still Holds Up Today

All The President’s Men, directed by Alan J. Pakula, written by William Goldman and starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, was released in 1976. It performed well at the box office, received positive reviews from critics, and won eight Academy Awards, including one for best picture.

A lot has changed since the 1970s. A scandal such as Watergate would never be investigated in the same way today. With no internet or mobile phones, the two protagonists wear out their shoe leather knocking on doors, visiting libraries, and making clandestine calls in public telephone boxes. Yet this story of two reporters on a single-minded quest for truth still resonates with modern audiences. A combination of engaging storytelling, masterful direction, great acting, and a compelling plot means that although this film is 45 years old, it still holds up today.

It’s A Time Capsule Of The 1970s

The Watergate scandal occurred in 1972, and Woodward and Bernstein’s account of their investigations was published in 1974. When All The President’s Men was released in theaters in 1976, this was still recent news. It is the equivalent of releasing a movie today set in 2016.

The clothes, language, and attitudes depicted were still current when the film was made. The meticulously recreated Washington Post set was based on the way the office looked at the time of shooting. Unlike every movie about Richard Nixon that has followed, All The President’s Men is not a period piece. It is a record of a historically important event made when the events the movie depicts are still current.

It’s Shot In An Almost Documentary Style

Director Alan J. Pakula ensured that All The President’s Men had a minimalist feel. There is very little incidental music, and the story sticks to the reporters’ investigations without straying into their personal lives. The characters’ dialogue is naturalistic and free-flowing. Redford and Hoffman learned each other’s lines so that they could finish each other’s sentences.

On several occasions, the actors flub their lines. Hoffman says, “Does anyone speak English?” and Redford closes a telephone conversation using the wrong name. These mistakes weren’t in the script. However, the actors corrected themselves while remaining in character, and these takes were used. This heightened the realism making the audience feel like they were watching real events unfolding.

It Tells The Story From The Bottom Up

Since this movie was released, there have been many movies about the Nixon presidency, notably Oliver Stone’s Nixon and Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon. Uniquely, in All The President’s Men, the president does not appear onscreen at all except in stock footage.

By focusing on the reporters investigating the story and not the government leaders they were investigating, the movie tells the story from the bottom up. The audience discovers the truth alongside Woodward and Bernstein. If the two main characters don’t know it yet, then it is not depicted onscreen. This unusual focus in a historical biopic is one of the reasons this movie is still regularly studied by film students today.

Robert Redford As Bob Woodward

Robert Redford was involved in the film from the very beginning. He contacted Woodward and Bernstein regarding securing the movie rights to their book. As the Producer, he originally hadn’t planned to star in the movie and wanted to cast acting unknowns in the lead roles. However, Warner Brothers insisted that Redford star in the movie, as his name would be a big box office draw.

Redford confidently portrays Woodward, a rookie reporter who knew he was on to something big. It was lucky that Redford acquiesced to the studio’s wishes, as many people consider this his best role. It is one of the reasons why the movie remains so watchable today.

Dustin Hoffman As Carl Bernstein

Having accepted the role of Bob Woodward, Redford knew that it was necessary to find an equally big star to play Carl Bernstein. He didn’t want there to be a perceived power imbalance between the two reporters.

Hoffman’s previous acting credits included The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy, both of which earned him Academy Award nominations. Hoffman was the perfect choice to play Bernstein. Bernstein’s disheveled appearance contrasts with his razor-sharp intelligence. Hoffman is today regarded as one of the best actors in the world. This movie enables modern audiences to see Hoffman turn in a near-flawless performance during the relatively early part of his career.

The Portrayal Of Workplace Dynamics

All The President’s Men is, at the heart of it, a story about two men just doing their jobs. The audience sees, in detail, workplace dynamics played out at The Washington Post in the 1970s. Many things may have changed since the movie was made. Here, there are no mobile phones, no internet, even faxes are a decade away from being commonplace. Woodward and Bernstein turn out all their copy on loud, heavy manual typewriters.

Yet, so much of the workplace dynamics depicted are still true today: The diligent, hard-working newcomers, the demanding but fair boss, the project’s dead ends, and the rewards that come through passion and dedicated hard work. Audiences watching the movie today can still relate.

The Cinematography

Cinematographer Gordon Willis has been praised for his inventive lighting and staging techniques. A recurring motif in the movie is the use of light and darkness; all the scenes featuring politicians and Woodward’s meetings with his secret informant are shot in the shadows while the Washington Post office is brightly lit and spacious. This symbolizes how the Post brought the shadowy secrets of Nixon’s presidency into the light.

Willis’s use of cinematography does not distract audiences from the plot. Instead, it adds to the drama of the pair’s investigation. It is one of the aspects of the movie that makes it as satisfying to watch for modern audiences as it was when it was first released.

Hal Holbrook As Deep Throat

The identity of Woodward’s informant, Deep Throat, is not revealed in All The President’s Men. In fact, his identity was not made public until 29 years after the  movie’s release. In 2005 it was confirmed that Deep Throat was former FBI Associate Director Mark Felt.

The part was played by Hal Holbrook, a veteran actor of both stage and screen. Deep Throat maintains a shadowy and enigmatic throughout the movie and utters the iconic phrase “follow the money.” This phrase is now often attributed to Felt, even though he never actually said it. Holbrook’s portrayal of a character who seems supportive yet carries an air of menace continues to mesmerize audiences today as it did in 1976.

The Stakes Are High

At the end of the film, editor Ben Bradlee says, “Nothing’s riding on this except the first amendment to the Constitution, freedom of the press, and maybe the future of the country.” He makes it clear that the stakes are high, but Woodward and Bernstein already know this.

The reporters had doors slammed in their faces, been bugged, and been told their lives are in danger. The reason they kept going was because they knew it was the right thing to do. Woodward and Bernstein demonstrated that journalists have the power to expose the truth and hold those in power accountable. This is an important message that is no less relevant today than it was almost fifty years ago.

It Maintains Suspense

The story exposed by Woodward and Bernstein led directly to the resignation of President Nixon. This is not a spoiler. Almost everyone who has watched All The President’s Men, whether in the 1970s or the 2020s, already knows the final outcome before the opening credits roll.

It is remarkable, therefore, that the movie feels as suspenseful as it does. The audience remains on the edge of their seats as they watch Woodward and Bernstein relentlessly pursue the truth in the face of obstruction and cover-ups, which is why All The President’s Men holds up today as well as it did in 1976.

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