Starring: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jason Robards
Written By: William Goldman
Directed By: Alan J. Pakula
Studio: Warner Bros
I watched All the President’s Men for the first time back in 2013 and have probably seen it a few times since then. The film has been re-released on 4K for the first time and it looks excellent.
I’m not going to go into the plot, but the movie follows journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward of The Washington Post as they investigate and ultimately help bring down the Nixon administration.
Watching it again, the events depicted almost feel minor compared to the nonstop political chaos & shitstorms of the past decade. It makes you wonder how future filmmakers will tackle all this current subject matter since there’s so much of it. Still, it may take some time before many of us are ready to revisit those kinds of stories on screen. I know I won’t be able to stomach watching anything anytime soon.
This is arguably one of Redford and Hoffman’s best performances, though that is certainly up for debate. Jason Robards delivers a standout performance that earned him an Academy Award. While the film centers on the downfall of Nixon, it is just as much about the power and responsibility of investigative journalism. If they print something that is this big and false, there goes the paper but thankfully that didn’t happen. Although, watching this makes me sad what has become of the Washington Post with Bezos pulling the strings.
The new featurettes include appearances by CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, which I didn’t really feel like watching these 2 clowns since they were partially responsible for getting Trump re-elected. If that interests you, there is at least some new material here. The remaining bonus features carry over from the previous Blu-ray release.
All the President’s Men remains a gripping story about journalism and the risks taken to report on a story of this magnitude. The performances are strong, the direction is sharp, and the cinematography still holds up beautifully. The film looks fantastic in 4K and is definitely worth owning if you’re a fan.
Features:
All the President’s Men: The Film and Its Influence
Woodward and Bernstein: A Journalism Masterclass
Woodward and Bernstein: Lighting the Fire
Telling the Truth About Lies
Out of the Shadows: The Man Who Was Deep Throat
Jason Robards on Dinah!
Video:
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio:
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital Mono
German: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
Subtitles:
English SDH, French, German SDH, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Mandarin (Traditional), Norwegian, Swedish
Bottom Line: One of the greatest political films of all-time
Running Time: 138 mins
Rating: PG
Extras Rating:
Overall Rating: