This is seriously one of the hardest times I’ve ever had trying to rate a film. So much is going into how I’m feeling about it, the way it’s made with the beautiful visuals and the unforgettable Anthony Hopkins performance but it’s also the reconsideration of not only Nixon as a person that’s going through my mind but of a lot of presidents this country has ever had that’s really leaving the most profound impact. I really wasn’t expecting such an empathetic portrayal of Tricky Dick from Mr. Stone, the way Born on the Fourth of July was so critical of the US as a whole I was expecting more of that widespread distaste for anyone involved in the government(which admittedly would’ve worked for me), especially Nixon, and while it did in many ways with the moral corruption of pretty much everyone surrounding Nixon I also found it pretty brave of Stone to do what he did here. The portrayal of the presidency not as a powerful position but as a mere individual being manipulated by exterior forces may not excuse these presidential individuals of their crimes but it certainly paints them in a new light for me which I really appreciate, that type of profound impact on me is where I’m struggling with the rating because it’s just so hard to translate that into how I feel about the film. For Stone to not see Nixon as someone with a personal vendetta in extending the Vietnam War but simply being a victim of the military’s pride was almost Nostradamus like from him despite if it were really true or not considering the US military’s pride and inability to “lose” would keep them at war in Afganistan for 2 decades just six years after this film’s release. Dick saying the simple phrase “peace with honor” illustrates all of that better than I could really say it. Now that I’m done with all that it’s time to talk about the amazing movie stuff, and the only real place to start is with Sir Anthony Hopkins. There was simply no better choice for the lead, this performance might be the best I’ve seen in a Stone film which is really saying a lot considering how good Tom Cruise was in Born on the Fourth of July. The supporting cast is fantastic as well, my knowledge of the personalities of Nixon’s administration is admittedly nonexistent but from the reviews I’ve read they seem accurate and with their great performances I believe it. It’s got one of my new favorite John Williams scores too, it was almost haunting at points which I loved for what Stone was going for and his collaboration with Stone is quickly becoming one of my favorite director composer duos, I’m excited to see the final film I haven’t that they’ve worked on together in JFK. Could very well be a 5 for me someday, I see why most avoid it with the runtime and obviously Richard Nixon not being a man most people on this app are itching to learn more about but I really think there is something valuable to gain from watching this. Stone’s best for me so far.
“When they look at you, they see what they want to be. When they look at me, they see what they are.”
This is seriously one of the hardest times I’ve ever had trying to rate a film. So much is going into how I’m feeling about it, the way it’s made with the beautiful visuals and the unforgettable Anthony Hopkins performance but it’s also the reconsideration of not only Nixon as a person that’s going through my mind but of a lot of presidents this country has ever had that’s really leaving the most profound impact. I really wasn’t expecting such an empathetic portrayal of Tricky Dick from Mr. Stone, the way Born on the Fourth of July was so critical of the US as a whole I was expecting more of that widespread distaste for anyone involved in the government(which admittedly would’ve worked for me), especially Nixon, and while it did in many ways with the moral corruption of pretty much everyone surrounding Nixon I also found it pretty brave of Stone to do what he did here. The portrayal of the presidency not as a powerful position but as a mere individual being manipulated by exterior forces may not excuse these presidential individuals of their crimes but it certainly paints them in a new light for me which I really appreciate, that type of profound impact on me is where I’m struggling with the rating because it’s just so hard to translate that into how I feel about the film. For Stone to not see Nixon as someone with a personal vendetta in extending the Vietnam War but simply being a victim of the military’s pride was almost Nostradamus like from him despite if it were really true or not considering the US military’s pride and inability to “lose” would keep them at war in Afganistan for 2 decades just six years after this film’s release. Dick saying the simple phrase “peace with honor” illustrates all of that better than I could really say it. Now that I’m done with all that it’s time to talk about the amazing movie stuff, and the only real place to start is with Sir Anthony Hopkins. There was simply no better choice for the lead, this performance might be the best I’ve seen in a Stone film which is really saying a lot considering how good Tom Cruise was in Born on the Fourth of July. The supporting cast is fantastic as well, my knowledge of the personalities of Nixon’s administration is admittedly nonexistent but from the reviews I’ve read they seem accurate and with their great performances I believe it. It’s got one of my new favorite John Williams scores too, it was almost haunting at points which I loved for what Stone was going for and his collaboration with Stone is quickly becoming one of my favorite director composer duos, I’m excited to see the final film I haven’t that they’ve worked on together in JFK. Could very well be a 5 for me someday, I see why most avoid it with the runtime and obviously Richard Nixon not being a man most people on this app are itching to learn more about but I really think there is something valuable to gain from watching this. Stone’s best for me so far.
“When they look at you, they see what they want to be. When they look at me, they see what they are.”
