"The All the President's Men" A sublime journalistic spirit imprinted with the passion of young The Journalist

Cinematography and sound support Alan J. Pakula's restrained direction

I should also mention Alan J. Pakula's superb direction. The first thing that struck me was the opening. A spectacular news video of President Nixon being greeted with applause by many politicians. Immediately after that, five men break into the Watergate Building in the dark. Yes, the contrast between the light and darkness of the Nixon administration is presented from the beginning. The director of photography for this film is Gordon Willis, known for his work on `` The Godfather '' (1972). The beauty of the visuals, which highlight the contrast between light and shadow, is a testament to his accomplishments.

In terms of shooting, split diopter lenses were used in this movie. This special lens allows you to focus at two different focal lengths, which is impossible to do normally. For example, the scene where Robert Redford is making a phone call early in the movie. Even though Redford in the left foreground and the desks lined up from the right front to the back are in focus, only the back left is out of focus. For this film, which consisted mostly of telephone interviews, the split diopter lens became the ultimate weapon that allowed the filmmaker to accurately show the picture he wanted to show.

“All the President's Men” © 1976/Renewed © 2004 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Wildwood Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.

Let's also touch on the acoustic side. The sound of typewriter keys resounding at the opening. In fact, this is an actual typewriter overlaid with the sounds of gunshots and whipping. It conveys the Arrival that ``typewriters = defeating corrupt governments through the power of journalism.'' Also, there is almost no accompaniment in this movie. David Shire's ominous score doesn't begin until 28 minutes into the film. The sound of typewriter keys is essentially the musical accompaniment.

All the President's Men was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won in four categories: Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Recording, and Best Design. Now, thanks to Robert Redford's enthusiasm and Alan J. Pakula's restrained direction, this film has become a classic in film history. And every time I look back on it, I am simply overwhelmed by the sublime journalistic spirit of the young The Journalist. We call for inspiration for Japanese journalism!

Text: Rui Takeshima　

A pop culture writer who wants to be kicked by Hit Girl. Host of the web magazine "POP MASTER".

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"The All the President's Men"

Blu-ray ¥2,619 (tax included) / DVD ¥1,572 (tax included)

Publisher: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Distributor: NBC Universal Entertainment

© 1976/Renewed © 2004 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Wildwood Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.