One of the best political thrillers ever made

Rating: 9/10 (13 December 2002)

Two Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward (Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Hoffman) stumble on the story of the decade and fight to expose the truth behind Nixon and the Watergate scandal. Jason Robards is their sceptical editor who at first is not convinced of their quest for truth. Robards steals the show despite fine performances from both leads. Pakula's effective film noir depicts a dark world of corruption behind Washington politics and proves that politics, if spectacular enough,can make a hugely successful film. The film contains some memorable scenes, the meeting with the 'insider' in the underground car park and the visually evocative image of the two men going through documents in a library, to name but two. All The President's Men has a simple point to make, that the American press is still the best, with both journalists literally risking their lives in search of the truth. Nevertheless its sharp script, efficient cinematography and tense direction from Pakula make this one of the most important films of the 70's as well as Pakula's greatest film.