NIXON
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
***1/2 (out of 4 = very good) 1995, R, 191 minutes [3 hours, 11 minutes] [drama] starring: Anthony Hopkins (Richard Nixon), Joan Allen (Pat Nixon), Paul Sorvino (Henry Kissinger), James Woods (Bob Holland), David Hyde-Pierce (John Dean), produced by Clayton Townsend, Oliver Stone, Andrew G. Vajna, written by Oliver Stone, Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson, directed by Oliver Stone.
"Nixon" is another epic film by Oliver Stone with a bit of a split personality. At times it's a touching drama of a man who had the world in his hand and still wasn't happy. And at other times it's a commercial film of espionage, diplomacy, and politics. The final outcome is quite moving at times, but is held back due to strange storytelling.
First of all, special mention must be made to Anthony Hopkins who delivers an outstanding performance as Richard Nixon. He is able to take a complicated story and simplify it down to one man's struggle for his own happiness.
Nixon came from a blue collar family in California, and there are many flashbacks to his childhood to give some idea of what made Nixon who he is. Although his family suffered from tuberculosis, his parents were hard working, God-fearing people who established tough morals for him. Nothing he did seemed to impress them that much, and after his father died he didn't seem to realize that all the work in the world cannot bring someone back. In his adult life, especially as president, he seems to be suffering from a terrible case of Oedipus Complex and doesn't realize it.
We'd probably like to think politicians are just like regular people but we'd be wrong. Stone is usually able to present moods and themes in a clear manner, but it doesn't work as well here. When Nixon and his associates debate what to do over possible communists, it seems more like a commercial adventure movie of sorts, involving lots of conspiracies and strategies (a la "Clear And Present Danger").
The first two acts seemed interesting as they were pretty much told in a straightforward manner. However, the third act turns on a dime and becomes complicated and confusing as it dives into the Watergate scandal. I didn't know much the before seeing this, and by the end of this film I was just as confused about it. Still, the steps taken are entertaining and of high quality. The only problem is its difficult to tell whether the theme is Nixon as a person, or Nixon's personality as it effected the presidency.
Maybe there's just a little too much Nixon to "Nixon," by the end I was all Nixoned-out. It's like two films in one: first of his political career and downfall, and a detailed investigation into the Watergate scandal. Perhaps its' a little too epic, but who said being the president was easy?
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