All the President’s Men - Leadership and Ethics
All the President’s Men (1976)
Famous for...
Its portrayal of Watergate, the political scandal that eventually led to the resignation of
President Nixon in 1974.
It was revealed that (with the help of the FBI and the CIA) Nixon sanctioned:
- a corrupt dirty tricks campaign against his Democratic opponents.
- burglary and illegal phone tapping in 1972 at the
Watergate hotel in Washington, the Democrats’ headquarters.
Based on...
The book, All the President’s Men, by the two Washington Post journalists who publicized Watergate:
They are pictured right during Watergate (Bernstein is on the left)
Their White House informant was nicknamed Deep Throat (in 2005 revealed as the FBI’s
deputy director, Mark Felt).
Who the film doesn’t mention...
Katherine Graham, the Washington Post owner
(pictured right with Bernstein, left, and Woodward during Watergate)
She gave vital support to Bernstein and Woodward.
Director
Alan J. Pakula
Oscars
Four (including best supporting actor, Jason Robards, and best
screenplay)
Key characters
Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin
Hoffman), Washington Post reporters (pictured right - Redford is on the left).
Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards, pictured right below), their boss and editor.
Deep Throat (Hal Holbrook) , their informant.
The story
Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, are
asked to investigate a burglary and phone tapping of the Democratic Party’s National Committee at the Watergate
hotel, Washington, on June 17, 1972.
Woodward links this break-in to one of President Nixon’s aides, Charles
Colson.
Woodward and Bernstein are helped by a White House informant, nicknamed Deep Throat, who always
meets Woodward in an underground car park.
(Deep Throat, Hal Hoolbrook, is pictured right below in the film)
Supported by their editor, Ben Bradlee, they gradually reveal the Watergate scandal, bravely
resisting intense hostility and denial from the White House.
Deep Throat finally tells Woodward that Nixon’s top aide, Bob Haldeman, masterminded the
Watergate break-in.
Nixon is eventually forced to resign on August 9 1974 (announced in a type written headline at the
end of the film).
What does it say about Nixon’s leadership?
1. Principles are paramount
Nixon (pictured right during Watergate) ignored the American Constitution’s ideals of freedom and democracy.
Woodward, Bernstein and Bradlee fought for these ideals despite:
- intense pressure from the Nixon government.
2. Don’t forget your followers
Nixon was doomed when he thought that power was more important than the
people.
3. Morals matter
Nixon’s illegal actions shocked the American people, who believed that the president should be a moral
example for everyone.
Nixon’s cynical ruthlessness is summarized by a caption on the office wall of his adviser Charles
Colson (pictured right in 1969):
“When you’ve got ‘em by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow”
Key quotes on politics
Nothing’s riding on this except the first amendment of the Constitution, freedom of the press and maybe the
future of the country”, Ben Bradlee (to Woodward and Bernstein about the Watergate story)
Follow the money, Deep Throat (advising Woodward that tracing Nixon’s financial
contributions was the key to understanding Watergate).
Two film websites to recommend
1. filmsite.org (run by Tim Dirks).
2. aveleyman.com (run by Tony Sullivan)
|