All the President's Men: Dull but True

All the President’s Men is the most journalistically relevant film we’ve watched in this class so far. At first I found it to be extremely dry, but the more I thought about it, the more I began to appreciate it. We as movie-viewers are spoiled by fantastical storylines designed to constantly keep us amused. This film, however, seemed to be a lot more “muse” than “amusement,” and while it took more discipline to follow the film and not zone out, I can appreciate it for its realism. Showing phone call after phone call and years of investigating and research doesn’t make for the most interesting film, but it does make for a far more accurate depiction of journalism than most films. The plot didn’t need to fall back on some kind of fluffy love-interest sub-plot or personal-life crisis. In fact, the viewer knows virtually nothing about the journalists’ backgrounds and personal lives. Just like journalism itself, this movie was convincing and effective through its detail and showing of the process, no matter how dry and mundane. The monotony of hitting road block after road block made the breakthroughs all the more triumphant and exciting. It is also a great story of investigative journalism, which is becoming a lost art in our generation.