March 9th: ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (Alan J. Pakula, 1976)
NOTE: This film will be projected in the high-definition Blu-ray format.
By the mid-1970s, Robert Redford was Hollywood's biggest box office star. His political activism had already crept into his work via his election satire The Candidate (1972), which he executive produced. He optioned the non-fiction book All The President's Men, written by reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein about their investigation of the Watergate scandal.
A complicated adaptation process ensued, with a draft by Oscar-winning screenwriter William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), with input from Woodward and Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee. Bernstein wrote his own draft with wife Nora Ephron, leading to Redford demanding more changes from Goldman and causing friction between the various collaborators.
Next onboard was producer-turned-director Alan J. Pakula, who already was making his name as a master of the decade's prevalent paranoid political thrillers (Klute, The Parallax View). Pakula did his own interviews of journalism figures, and worked with Redford and Goldman on polishing the script.
Already playing the part of Woodward, Redford wanted another big star to give Bernstein equal weight for the viewer, and cast Dustin Hoffman. The two spent weeks at the Washington Post, studying reporters' methods and the editorial process. In addition to memorizing their own lines, the actors memorized each other's as well, allowing them to have a more organic back-and-forth between partners. The rest of the cast includes veterans Jason Robards, Jr. (Long Day's Journey Into Night, Magnolia) and Hal Holbrook (The Firm, Into the Wild), Martin Balsam (Psycho, 12 Angry Men), and Jack Warden (12 Angry Men, Shampoo).
Despite Bradlee's participation, the production was refused permission to film in the Post's office, though the newspaper did send a large number of authentic items to be used as props for the recreation on the studio's soundstage. The bright glare of the office lighting is contrasted by the mysterious, atmospheric look found in other scenes, courtesy of Gordon Willis (the Godfather films), nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness".
The film was released to overwhelming critical praise, and wound up being the #2 box office grosser of the year. It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards including Best Picture, and won Oscars for Robards, Goldman's screenplay, sound, and art direction. Its influence is felt in many films and TV shows depicting journalism, as well as those dealing with government conspiracies like The X-Files (which borrowed the informant name "Deep Throat").
Running time is approx. 2 hrs, 15 min.
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