Resistance Through Cinema: The Nixon 3

"Can you imagine what this man might have been
if he'd ever been loved?"

Nixon, 1995. 
d. Oliver Stone
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, James Woods, Joan Allen, Powers Boothe, Paul Sorvino

I have not yet made it out to the theaters to see Woody Harrelson in LBJ, so we're jumping from JFK right to Nixon. Stone said that if the former was his "Godfather," then the latter would inevitably be his "Godfather II." I have to take a little issue with that, having the opinion that JFK is a far more interesting and compelling story, but whatever.

I find James Woods to be creepier
and more evil than Nixon all days of the week, but he was
effective in this role.

Nixon throws a lot of information at us, much of it out of sequence, bouncing from strategic discussions within the cabinet about Watergate and Vietnam, Nixon's Quaker childhood (in black and white), along with his various previous political experiences. People who liked the man will find some validation in the scenes that explore his better moments in office (progress in China with Mao, ending of the war in Vietnam, and temporary peace with the Soviets) and people who hated him will view all of these events along with some of his more emotional moments and constant need for approval somewhat suspiciously--it's difficult to reconcile a man so beloved by his wife and daughters with the man who made (what was until very recently) the biggest mockery of the American Presidency the world had ever seen. 

The filmmaking style is very typical of Oliver Stone's usual chaotic brilliance, and close in overall feeling to JFK, but as its own production not without a few shortcomings: Anthony Hopkins' English accent slides in more than a few times, and it's a difficult thing to get around. His physical portrayal was more on point with gestures and hunching shoulders, but I found him to be quite smiley in general, which maybe he was, who can know, but I got the feeling from the content of the film that there was very little smile about, overall, during Nixon's presidency. Supporting cast was amazing, shouts out especially to Sorvino as Kissenger, Joan Allen as Pat Nixon, Powers Boothe as Alexander Haig, and the late Larry Hagman (perfectly cast as a despicable, racist, Texas oil barron). 

I appreciated the approach of showing Nixon the man, and seeing some of his more humble and emotional moments was interesting and sad. Clearly he never got over his loss to Kennedy, and always viewed his power, his decisions, and even his family as things to be won and proven over and over. 



All The President's Men, 1976. 
d. Alan J. Pakula

"Woodward? Bernstein? You're both on the case,
now don't f--- it up!"

starring: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Robards

Based on the book written by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, this film focuses on these guys. Getting to the bottom of the Watergate scandal takes some time, and though the two men's efforts are mocked, ignored, and often sabotaged, it does eventually happen. Not a ton of the man Nixon himself in this film, but in watching, one becomes quite familiar with the men in his cabinet, what they knew, and how everyone was involved in the break in and subsequent cover-up. If your interest in the Nixon administration lies only in the Watergate scandal, then this is definitely your film. Resisting "the powers that be" is a big piece of this one. 

"WOODSTEIN!!"

There is an over-arching feeling of anxiety present during this film; anticipation, discomfort, and a general sense of WTF, like, a lot. It's difficult to believe, even now, that this really happened. The film opens on the actual break-in, which is useful in seeing just what occurred and how it seemed maybe innocuous or random at first (the burglars were looking for things, stealing things, installing recording devices wearing rubber gloves), but as more details are discovered, the more serious it all becomes. Bernstein (Hoffman) is always hovering around people smoking or drinking coffee, Woodward (Redford) comes off as a downright stalker, and they both have to keep repeating the same questions over and over to people who are obviously annoyed with them but they never give up, and the result of all this is, well, Nixon leaving his keys on the table and bugging out. 

You learn a lot about journalism, the inner workings of the White House, and basic detective work. It's a great example of dedicated, cooperative problem-solving. 70s men's fashion, the young (and smoking hot) Redford, and legit McDonalds logos on the lunch are all nice bonuses. Oscar for Supporting Actor went to Jason Robards and film won Adapted Screenplay, Art Direction, and Sound as well.

For further detail or education on the Watergate Scandal and the role of Woodward and Bernstein, see Redford's documentary feature below, "All The President's Men, Revisited."






Frost/Nixon, 2008. 
d. Ron Howard
starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon

"A dramatic retelling of the post-Watergate television interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and former president Richard Nixon," (IMDB). 

I really enjoyed this, probably more than the other two, because something about it felt a bit more approachable--rather than the more inflated and removed concepts of Presidents or celebrities living their posh lives, this film at its heart focuses on two disgraced people just trying to prove themselves. David Frost (Michael Sheen) is a talk show host whose shows have been cancelled; Nixon (Frank Langella) has resigned and is living in California. 


Frost pitches a series of interviews with the former president to the major news networks, each one declines, and Frost decides to go through with it anyway, putting up his own money for the project with no guarantees it will ever see the light of day. In addition to the financial struggle, there are substantial conflicts between Frost's and Nixon's production teams about the interview topics, how they'll be controlled, and whether or not Frost will be allowed to ask the questions the Americans really want answered. 

Resistance comes into the story mainly in terms of Frost's actions, which really do a lot in making this film personal and something we all can relate to, exploring employment and financial pressures, the easy way vs. the hard way, standing up for oneself, and maybe most of all, rising to the occasion amidst a ton of adversity. The title itself is Frost/Nixon, which suggests a sort of battle, like a square-off or "versus" situation, and this ends up fitting well as the film progresses. The Oscar nominations were plentiful--Best Picture, Screenplay, Editing, Director (Howard), and Actor (Langella). Frank Langella's Nixon is a darker, more scowling one than Hopkins', and his vocalizations and dialogues seemed a bit more close to the real man's. The issue of his sweaty upper lip is addressed as well as a few awkward attempts at humor, and the effect is mostly sympathetic---Nixon wanted to be loved and just wasn't, and we the viewers see this, again and again. 

All the Twin Peaks #8

Sorry, darling but I like the blondes.

Twin Peaks Journal

Episode #8 The Last Evening

Airdate: May 23, 1990

Written by: Mark Frost

Directed by: Mark Frost

Summary: Doctor Jacoby is beaten by a mysterious assailant; Deputy Andy shoots Jacques Renault; Leo torches the sawmill with Shelly and Catherine inside; Nadine Hurley attempts suicide; Lucy tells Andy she's pregnant; Hank shoots Leo; Ben tries out the new girl at One-Eyed Jack's (who happens to be Audrey), Cooper is shot.

Other Areas of Interest:

*How fitting that among other various talents, Cooper can count cards!  

*Jacques drives a goddamned EL CAMINO! YES! 

*Nadine's suicide setup is pretty elaborate. Poor Nadine. 

*Norma seems to be visibly disgusted by Hank, as we all are.

THOSE GETUPS! 

*Leland is starting to lose it.

Rating: 🍩🍩🍩🍩 (Four doughnuts out of four possible)

There are some seriously amazing moments in this episode: 1. Cooper's subtle reaction of disapproval when Jacques, during their interview at One-Eyed Jack's, says that Leo "was doin' a real number on her (Laura)," which was accomplished mainly by a sudden tight closeup on Cooper's eyes, and 2. Sheriff Truman's look of utter fury and badass as he and his team close in on Jacques Renault. What a couple of guys.

I suppose the bigger issue here, the theme, if you will, is that the murder of Laura Palmer has become secondary for Cooper. Even though still an outsider, the crime has now begun to affect Cooper on almost the same level as the others---Truman, Doc Hayward, James, etc.,  and not just as an agent of the law, there's emotion involved now. He's angry when Jacques nonchalantly brags about the sexual escapades with Laura, just as Truman is when he finally gets his chance to arrest who he believes is Laura's killer. It matters to us in the same way as we too have become invested and want justice.

Old girl finds JR, Dallas, 1980.

What we saw Cooper's dream is the suggestion Cooper will eventually solve Laura's murder, but also that the dream itself was bizarre in a way that only David Lynch could conceive---the room was red and sinister, a little man was speaking in what sounded like backwards-dubbed language, and Laura Palmer whispered into Cooper's ear who her murderer was. It's a valid assumption that Cooper both has grown to care about the people of Twin Peaks AND is intrigued by the mystery of his dream and the strangeness of the events surrounding the murder (I'm mostly referring to Sarah Palmer's visions, The Log Lady, The One-Armed Man, and Cooper's ability to tie all this together to the assumed-to-be-related murder he mentioned at the town meeting). We are on the brink of getting resolution with all this and then, BANG BANG, in a cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers (props back to the old school "Who Shot JR," for paving the way), Cooper goes down. A perfect episode with a perfect half-cadence conclusion to leave us high and dry, waiting for the next season.


Best Lynch Moment: Leo hiding behind the door with an axe

Best Line: "Be quiet, I'm thinking. . ." --Catherine to Shelly as the mill bursts into flames

Coffee, Pie, or Doughnut References: 1

Dallas Trailer!!

In the meantime. . .

To all the men I've loved before. . .

Fracture

All right. Taking my own advice is proving to be harder than I thought.......
That said, here are the things I think were positive about this film:

1. The casting was good/everyone is physically attractive.
2. Ryan Gosling doing the southern accent was surprisingly pleasing to my ear.
3. Anthony Hopkins is generally creepy no matter what he does, and I think the film played that well.
4. Story was interesting/I wanted to know how it would end.
5. DA Guy (ray mcdeer from THE FIRM?)....I always enjoy him.
6. Despite the twisted torch I carry for characters like JR Ewing and Dr. Romano, I actually enjoy it when the little guy (or in this case, the ethical guy) wins in the end. Good vs. Evil, that sort of thing.

the only negative things I have to say are unfortunately major so here they are:
1. ending was obvious once ray mcdeer uttered the words "ATTEMPTED MURDER"
2. this would have been much better as a short film or Night Gallery or Twilight Zone episode. Yes, I'm a little on the obsessive side when it comes to those two shows, but really, I'm serious about this. I don't think it really had enough bulk for being a feature film. It really came down to having a two hour buildup to a 2 second punch line. Not that I didn't enjoy the ride.......!