Should be required viewing for young people.

Rating: 9/10 (19 October 2006)

This film should be required viewing for all high school students particularly at the present time. I lived through the Watergate Scandals and investigations and I fear many young people never heard of any of these events.
Unlike the film "Dick" which was a completely fictional account of Watergate for comedic purposes. this film is perfectly serious with the intention of not Hollywoodizing the facts though having Woodward and Bernstein played by Redford and Hoffman automatically does this, to some extent, particularly in the case of Redford.
Nixon himself is only shown in archival footage.
Since Watergate is really seen mostly through the eyes of "Woodstein", it is their investigation that is shown in detail. Once "Deep Throat" unburdens himself to Woodward, the film is essentially over but, before that, the suspense is maintained even for those viewers who know the outcome. As a result, there is a built-in lopsidedness which could not be avoided.
The actors are all excellent, even the Watergate security man Frank Wills who plays himself in the film. Hal Holbrook, who plays Deep Throat is surprisingly convincing and, in appearance, not unlike Mark Felt (died only recently on December 18th, 2008.), the man who was Deep Throat (and not Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams as in "Dick".).
Robert Redford comments on the film as it is playing but I really haven't seen much of this section. There is a second DVD in the two-DVD set which I recommend highly and this includes a short documentary about Mark Felt which makes no attempt to whitewash him or his possible motivations or the reputation of Felt's mentor, J. Edgar Hoover. Of course, it is appropriately narrated by the man who played Felt in the film, Hal Holbrook.
A not-perfect film but both disks of the DVD are highly worthwhile and required viewing in my opinion.