All the President's Men [DVD]

I first watched this movie not long after it was released in 1976. What could be more compelling than watching it again, on the eve of the 6th, one of those dates that will now be one for remembrance and reflection? A presidency that had no respect for law or, even more importantly, common human decency. That drug that is more powerful and corrupting than meth: power. “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference,” was one of his famous quotes, self-pitying, after he lost the gubernatorial race in California in 1962. He would go on to hold many more, as we know, staging a stunning political come-back. As a classic “Nixon-hater,” I’d be tossed from any potential jury… yet, in the delicious ironies of history, my ability to write this review might be solely attributed to Richard Milhous Nixon. Sure, he was not thinking of me, encased in his own motives. Weaving its way through the military bureaucracy, his decision to “Vietnamize” the war in Vietnam (a bizarre concept, even that) led to my official “withdrawal” from the war. Instead of completing the standard tour (for the Army) in Vietnam of 365 days, I only spent 357 days. Eight glorious, perhaps life-giving days. Tricky Dick, bless ’im.From the personal to the national, the irony again, for the press did indeed, decisively, have Nixon to kick around again. Two young and hungry reporters, Carl Bernstein, played by Dustin Hoffman, and Bob Woodward, played by Robert Redford, go against the grain, even of their own newspaper, having a nose for one of the biggest stories of the 20th century, which confirm Lord Acton’s axiom about power corrupting. Jason Robards plays an excellent Ben Bradlee, the editor of the Washington Post. Tough, he is, with his “cub reporters,” but eventually he is willing to chance Katherine Graham's bosom in that old-fashioned ringer washer, one of the many threats that Bradlee received at the time, for performing his duty to himself and the American people. (She was the owner of the WP at the time.) “Run it” he would finally proclaim.The director, Alan J. Pakula, produced a tense, fast-moving, high-charged drama that seemed to reflect journalistic standards and customs at the time: the typewriter, the crammed desks in the open office floor plan, the hustle for the scoop and meeting the deadline. And this was one of the scoops that really happened.The fear. That is what struck me hard, yet again. The fear that we stress is more normally associated with totalitarianism: Stalin, Hitler, et al. It was SO difficult for Bernstein and Woodward to get someone to talk. Period. And for the record, virtually never. The game played by the informant, “Deep Throat,” that finally and dramatically Woodward called his hand on it. There was the fear of loss of the money for the mortgage, damage to the career… and more dramatically, the loss of life: “your lives are in danger.”Why, oh why? If all those political operatives and their dirty-tricks gamesmanship had not appealed to Nixon’s own underhanded ways of thinking and winning elections, including the red baiting of Helen Douglas, his Democratic opponent for the Senate in 1950, he almost certainly would have won the 1972 election with “peace at hand,” He won, but ultimately lost because of the dirty tricks.What was not in the movie, but I remember distinctly having lived through the period, was the stationing of Alexander Haig (by whom?) in the White House to prevent “unauthorized orders” being transmitted to the 82nd Airborne Division. Hum. And who determines that the Commander-in-Chief gives an unauthorized order, and how heavy are the fingerprints on the order.The events of January 06, a year ago, confirm the truths in the cliché about history not repeating but rhyming. And since time immemorial, the loyalty (or not) of “security,” has disturbed many a leader’s sleep. An essential viewing for all who fret about the democratic process. 5-stars, plus.

This great film was given a poor, unforgivable, JUNK Blu-Ray transfer. It has soft focus, bad colors, way too much black, and odd blacks in the wrong scenes. The worst blu-ray picture quality, along with THE GREAT ESCAPE, that I have ever seen (and I viewed it on a new hi-def 55" TV). And, actually, THE GREAT ESCAPE, a 13-years-older film, has a nicer blu-ray picture than this awful ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN blu-ray. The idiots who remastered this for blu-ray must have never done this job before, plus someone had the moronic idea to make every scene darker than ever shown before, thus everyone's faces range from mildly too dark to WAY TOO dark in virtually every scene of the film. WHO IN HELL APPROVED THIS JOB BEFORE THEY RELEASED IT TO THE COMPANY THAT PRESSED ALL THE BLU-RAYS FOR THEM?Honestly, my two regular commercial DVDs of this film (the 2-disc Special Edition [enhanced for 16x9] AND my previous, non-Special-Edition full-screen-and wide-screen version [flip over the DVD to view the other]) look MUCH better on my 1999 JVC 32" tube TV than this blu-ray disc looks on my Hi-Def TV. MUCH better. In fact, I played the blu-ray disc on that old TV--which has a blu-ray player connected to it, which of course down-converts blu-ray discs for it (and they normally look great on my tube TV, by the way)--but here again, THIS blu-ray ALSO looks WORSE on the old tube TV than does the plain DVD versions on that TV. True.Some stupidly way-too-dark scenes in the blu-ray:1) Early in the film, when Woodward talks with attorney "Markum" in their last exchange, while standing together after Markum went to get a drink of water at a water fountain near the courtroom they had just left (Markum was the one Woodward had sat behind at the hearing for the 5 Watergate burglars, the guy who was slightly annoyed with him). While they are now standing and talking near the water fountain, they are in freaking near-darkness! This is INSIDE a lighted room! I assure you this was NOT originally filmed this way "for effect"-- this scene is much brighter in the far-superior Xfinity Streampix version discussed below.2) All scenes inside Jack Warden's office at the Washington Post, and in fact many other scenes in other locations within the Post's large offices-- the light is at least a bit too dim, the focus is soft (ESPECIALLY the focus for the actors, it is more weak than the focus of the office walls or furnishings), the colors are slightly bland (again, worse for the humans) . . . oy, what crap. All of these interior scenes are MUCH better on the Xfinity Streampix version, being both much brighter and much sharper.3) Other indoor scenes later in the movie when Woodward and Bernstein are working together, alone, and are physically close to each other; yet it freaking looks like they are working in the dark-- yet they are in rooms with lights on!! Yet again, these scenes are much brighter and better in the Xfinity Streampix version.Worst blu-ray I've ever gotten, out of 300 bought, and it's too bad, because I love this riveting movie. (I recently bought Redford's 1975 film, "Three Days of the Condor" on blu ray, and it is BEAUTIFUL-- SHARP, GLOSSY, and NEW-LOOKING. Yet, the film is a year older than ATPM!! I should add that even the "Three Days of the Condor" DVD, which I already owned, is FAR better in picture quality on an HD TV than the ATPM blu ray!)There is simply nothing good to say about this "All The President's Men" blu-ray release except perhaps that it has all of the same extras that the 2-disc Special Edition DVD version has.UPDATE - May 24, 2014 - Recently, my cable TV provider, Comcast (now, "Xfinity") offered this movie in Hi-Definition for free via their "StreamPix" (it's playing for free through June 30, 2014 where I live). Well, their HD version is really nice, almost "beautiful"-- it is LIGHT YEARS better than this awful blu-ray! I actually compared them, side by side and scene by scene, and for this comparison, I also pulled out my 2-disc Special Edition (enhanced for 16x9 TVs) DVD, plus the very first DVD of this film ever issued (with full-screen and wide-screen versions on flip sides of the disc), also compared vs. the Amazon Instant Video HD version, which I rented, and ALSO, I compared with a blu-ray that a very "techie" friend of mind was able to record for me off of his satellite TV system (he has recorded numerous, BEAUTIFUL HD blu-rays for me off of TV, with zero Hi-Def quality-loss vs. watching those programs "live" on an HDTV oneself. Amazing stuff.)Among these six options, I have to say that the obvious WORST of the group of six is THIS overpriced blu-ray being reviewed here by us all-- the commercial blu-ray offered by Warner Brothers. The MOST noticable, and stupid, thing, in this commercially-made blu-ray is that in several indoor scenes IN BRIGHT or at least NORMAL LIGHT, the faces of the Redford, Hoffman, and whoever else is in the scene, are DARK! WAY under-lighted. Second, the quality is grainy-- and not in ANY positive sense, as everything is STILL soft-focus. Third, the colors are just not colorful in any way-- BOTH of my earlier DVDs are way more colorful (which still isn't highly colorful), as is the Xfinity StreamPix version (which is BY FAR the best of all versions.)To rate these versions of ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN when viewed on a HI-DEF TV, in order of best to worst, here goes:1) Xfinity (Comcast) Streampix - By FAR the best, on ALL counts. Sharpest-focus HD picture, most vibrant colors, and SO MUCH brighter a picture. And no, friends, not "too" bright by any stretch; no, instead it's the ONLY one of the three Hi-Def versions I have that is merely SUFFICIENTLY bright, or normally bright. So that when you see these men in a meeting inside their fluorescent-bulbed office, you can see their faces normally and also see the detail on their faces (and on Jack Warden's bald head!). Again, this version is superior in EVERY WAY to all of the other choices! Even as to sound quality.2) The WB Special Edition version (2-disc set), with the movie enhanced for 16x9 TVs - This DVD is darned good as to picture-quality, and beats out the blu-ray--YES-- EVEN on HD TV sets as well as on older tube TV sets. It has very nice colors, is sufficiently bright (though not quite as bright as the Xfinity Streampix version, but close in this regard), and is very sharp on an HD TV for merely a DVD!! Only slightly softer focus and slightly less bright than the above Xfinity Streampix version.That "enhancing for 16x9 TVs" goes VERY far with many DVDs (UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT, THE PAPER CHASE, THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, BLAME IT ON RIO, GLENGARRY, GLEN ROSS, and SHADE being SIX other personal favorites that are good examples of commercial (studio-issued) DVDs that ALSO look great on an HD TV, looking only a hair less than true High-Definition).3) The first Warner Brothers studio-issued DVD (in full screen and flip over to wide-screen) - this might be the equal of #2 immediately above, as they sure look similar on my HD TV, but I ranked this version one notch below because it doesn't share the same disc with a full-screen version, and was issued later, so maybe SOMETHING was improved?! (Of course, the blu-ray is the newest of all, and YET is the worst of all, so who can ever tell!)4) The Amazon Instant Video HD version. This one's picture quality is as sharp as the blu ray (big deal!), maybe a hair sharper, without the deep, deep blacks and without the graininess of the blu ray. But, still not sharp; nor bright enough. Hardly high-def-looking.5) The blu-ray recorded by my near-genius friend for me from some satellite TV HD pay-per-view movie channel. Again, his blu-rays always looks gorgeous-- but just not THIS movie. The problem with this one is all about the satellite pay-movie network (I don't recall the name, but had never heard of it before) that he recorded it from, not his capabilities. Still, while this has soft focus, muted colors, and is too dark, with too much "black", it's still not as bad as #6, below.6) Last and Worst: the commercial Warner Home Video blu-ray that we are reviewing here. Yuk! The worst on all counts except that its sound is better than #5, immediately above. They are actually offering this crap BD in a book version, too, which I'm sure is a nice add-on. But, this blu-ray is garbage, as to the movie, for all of the reasons enumerated above. Nearly all scenes are WAY too dark (such that faces are hard to see), colors are weak (they are muted plus there's way too much black), it needs to be A LOT brighter, the focus is SOFT, yet it is STILL the only one of the five that's grainy (and I rarely object to grain in an old movie when the picture is sharp as a result, but this is dull and soft-focus). The extras on the blu-ray, however, are all fine.Stay away from this crap. The studio should be ashamed of itself for putting out such garbage.By the way, as an owner of over 300 blu-rays, and many times that number of DVDs, I can say this is the first-ever blu-ray I have bought that was worse than the DVD. Think of that: how many of you own a studio-made DVD of a favorite film and look forward with great eagerness to getting the blu-ray, primarily for an improved, preferably much-improved, HD picture? (Yes, even in an old movie, a fine HD picture is still possible.) And we virtually always get a MUCH-better, nice HD picture when that blu-ray arrives! Well, not this blu-ray; it is worse than the DVD of this movie that you already may own.I'm sorry to have to have written this. But I love this film, and also spent hours the other day comparing all six versions that I have against one another. This commercial blu-ray is simply the worst.Can anyone here record a blu-ray of the Xfinity Streampix version????? My (out-of-state) buddy, unfortunately, cannot, since he doesn't have my cable TV company. And I know nobody else who knows how to do this, or has the equipment to do so (apparently, he tells me, what is needed primarily, besides knowledge of how to do it, is a computer with a huge hard drive of several Gb capacity.)Hopefully, Warner will re-master this great film into at least a mediocre blu-ray. That would be nice . . . And, imagine how nice a truly good or great HD blu-ray would be!!!

Other reviewers have given a detailed description of the film, so there is nothing I can usefully add, apart from giving it the highest recommendation. Some information about the extras may be useful however. I found the most interesting to be Telling the Truth About Lies: The Making of All the President's Men on the main disc and All The President's Men Revisited, a full length documentary on the second disc. There is some overlap between them, but they are essentially complementary. The first of these gives a detailed picture of the gestation of the film and in particular the crucial role played by Redford, who was involved even before the book on which it is based was written. There are interviews with everyone involved, including Woodward and Bernstein. The film stops at the point where they had done the main part of their detective work and the remaining part of the story is shown only in a series of teleprinter messages.The film came out only two years after the events it describes, when were still fresh in peoples' memory, but for those coming to it for the first time "All The President's Men Revisited" fleshes out its sketchy picture of later events and gives us the full story up to Nixon's resignation. There are also a number of other extras, but these tend to cover much of the same ground, and are therefore less interesting.

All the President's Men is probably Pakula's all around finest film - the Blu-Ray includes:- Exclusive to this release: All the President's Men Revisited - documentary (HD 1:27:46)- Commentary by Robert Redford- Behind the Story (SD; 1:12:44) a feature length documentary that goes into great depth about the actual Watergate story itself (including real life Woodward and Bernstein), as well as the film. This section includes the vintage featurette Pressure and the Press: The Making of 'All the President's Men'.- Dinah! with Jason Robards (SD; 7:12), again like Network's own Dinah! snippet, offers the songstress in her talkshow mode interviewing co-star Jason Robards. Highly Recommended

All the President's Men [Blu-ray] [1976] [US this film tells the story realistically of President Nixons Watergate sacndal and the way the newspaper reporters obtained the startling revelations of the Presidents involvement. The acting, story, filming and directing are all brilliant.

This of course is simply the classic old school journalism homage that you really want to see. Its gripping throughout and leaping forward in time to the film "Spotlight" you see it in context as almost a benchmark. I'm certain both will feature in Journalism courses for a great many years. Wiki is a good starter but nothing beats getting out there and nosing around for leads & confirmations.

I showed this movie when it was first released many years ago when I was a projectionist in central London, it always stuck in my mind and I am very glad that it has now been released on Blu-ray.Both picture and sound are excellent on this transfer and it is well worth the price.