This 1976 political thriller is
based on the book of the same name by Washington
Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. It stars Robert Redford
and Dustin Hoffman as the two reporters who were responsible for uncovering the
facts of the Watergate Scandal which ultimately led to the resignation of
President Richard Nixon in 1974. Nominated for eight Academy Awards it won
three and is often regarded as one of the best political thrillers of all time.
The movie manages to capture the
sense of urgency, frustration and fear that must be present inside a major
newspaper office as its staff are working on a sensitive story such as the one
depicted here. It portrays journalistic workings in what appears to be an
accurate way and follows the story from beginning to, not quite the end, but a satisfactorily
conclusion. The central partnership is strong and ebbs and flows from distrust
to jealousy to solid teamwork and mutual admiration and respect. The film also
gets to the heart of the Watergate Scandal, introducing a lot of characters who
would otherwise have been lost in history.
