Journalism in the truest sense of the word

Alan Pakula's phenomenal creation - All the President's Men - is a film that deserves to have a place in the syllabus of journalism studies across the world. The film is inspired by a 1974 non-fiction book that went into the case.

CJ: Devleena De

Sun, Aug 09, 2009 12:19:01 IST

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Hollywood movies :

IF THERE is one film that rightly deserves to have a place in the syllabus of journalism studies across the world, then it has to be Alan Pakula’s phenomenal creation - All the President’s Men. The film is inspired by the1974 non-fiction book which chronicles the singular events that led to the expose of the infamous Watergate Scandal and the eventual impeachment of Richard Nixon. In the run-up to the 1972 elections, Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) began investigating a minor break-in at the Democratic Party National headquarters, but the discovery of names and addresses of Republican fund organisers aroused his suspicions. Despite initial scepticism, the editor (Jack Warden) agreed to run the story and assign the loquacious Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) to work on it with Woodward.

Interestingly, Woodward and Bernstein carried out the most spectacular investigative undertaking in the history of journalism, regardless of the fact that they were polar opposites with very different and distinct working styles. There's something poignant about Woodward and Bernstein’s interviews with low-level political operatives, many of whom knew only parts of the story and who were genuinely disturbed by the allegations of wrong-doing. Nixon's White House officials denied the story or at least, parts of it and the stonewalling created part of the movie's tension. The two reporters persisted with digging and interviewing major party officials and minor ones yet the edges of the criminal conspiracy remained tantalisingly fierce in their denials.

“All the President’s Men” is truer to the craft of journalism than to the art of storytelling. The movie is impeccable and process finally overwhelms narrative – the viewer is adrift in a sea of names, dates, telephone numbers, coincidences, lucky breaks, false leads, dogged footwork, denials and evasions. Nevertheless, the film accurately portrays the plight of journalists, and their perseverance and tribulations during the entire process. It also gives a detailed account of Woodward's secret meetings with his source 'Deep Throat' (Hal Holbrook) whose identity was kept secret for over 30 years, but who was finally revealed as the elusive and enigmatic former FBI associate director W Mark Felt. It succeeds brilliantly in suggesting the mixture of exhilaration, paranoia, self-doubt and courage that permeated the Washington Post as its two young reporters trailed the greatest scam in the history of American politics. The movie opens with typewriter keys thunderously hammering on paper with the date, June 1, 1972, the day President Nixon returned from China. The infamous break-in occurred sixteen days later and on August 9 1974, the 37th United States President resigned following the indictment of several of his closest aides on crimes ranging from campaign fraud, political espionage, sabotage, illegal break-ins, improper tax audits to illegal wiretapping.

The film will always be lauded not just for the cinematic genius involved in the creation of a motion picture that captured some of the most significant moments in history, but also for capturing journalism in its truest form. The film immortalises Woodward and Bernstein, the two Washington Post scribes with an extraordinary resilience, persistence and the will to do whatever it takes to unearth the truth, making them the benchmark for all future journalists. And as Linda Ellerbee very rightly stated, “If five out of 10 journalism graduates look at the film and decide that this is what journalism is all about and aspire to become the next Woodward and Bernstein, then the filmmaker has done his job.”

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