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Anthony Hopkins,
Anthony Hopkins,
Joan Allen,
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Oliver Stone,
Oliver Stone
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: Walt Disney Video
: Drama, Politics and Social Issues, Biopics
: Spanish, French
see additional details...
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Oliver Stone, the most outspokenly political American filmmaker of the 1980s and '90s, directs this epic-length biography of Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the U.S., who was re-elected by a landslide in 1972, only to resign in disgrace two years later. Taking a non-linear approach, Nixon jumps back and forth between many different periods and events, from Nixon's strict upbringing at the hands of his Quaker mother, through the many peaks and valleys of his political career, to his downfall in the wake of the Watergate scandal. The facts of his life are blended with supposition and speculation to create a portrait that is often critical of the man's policies but displays an unexpected compassion toward his failings as a human being. Anthony Hopkins stars as Nixon, Joan Allen plays his long-suffering wife Pat, Mary Steenburgen portrays his mother Hannah, Bob Hoskins is cast as J. Edgar Hoover, Powers Boothe plays Alexander Haig, Paul Sorvino portrays Henry Kisinger, and Ed Harris plays E. Howard Hunt. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
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| Well, I have to disagree...
by larbeck
September 19, 2003 - 9:20 PM PDT
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2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
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...with johelinedvd in that is was real hard for me to stop asking "Anthony Hopkins as NIXON?" Both people have such distinct voices, it was hard.
BUT I must admit, even after years and years of using the very name of Richard [expletive deleted] Nixon as my favorite curse word, I actually found myself feeling a touch of sympathy for the man. And more than anything, that scares the out of hell - that the power of film could that. |
| Stone's Driving Miss Daisy
by johelinedvd
April 22, 2002 - 5:24 PM PDT
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6 out of 6 members found this review helpful
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First, it would be good to stress that this is not Nixon, but Oliver Stone's Nixon, Stone's interpretation of the man. Just as Amadeus is not a historically accurate presentation of facts, neither is Nixon. It is more helpful to view Nixon as an Elizabethan tragedy, set on the stage of the silver screen, but with names and places with which we are more familiar.
When I first saw the theatrical release of Nixon, I thought it was Stone's best work to date. Anthony Hopkins and Joan Allen delivers incredibly powerful and intense performances (just the fact that you stop asking "Anthony Hopkins as NIXON?" is a testament to the magnitude of the performnace). Paul Sorvino, James Wood, Ed Harris, JT Walsh, etc. may be the best support cast of recent times.
After seeing the director's cut, there is no doubt in my mind that it is Stone's crowning achievement (i've even upgraded my rating of the film). There are key differences in the two versions. 1. The additional time. It is not so much that the director's cut contains a plethora of new scenes, but that many scenes have been expanded. This most noticably affects the timing, editing, and pacing of the film. In comparison, the original release was noticably rushed and pared down to keep the film theater friendly. The luxury of DVD allows for a more in depth and nuanced look into Nixon's psyche and relationships. Stone also eliminated several scenes that were no longer needed to establish plot point in lieu of the extended time. 2. The portrayal of Nixon is slightly different. Stone's Nixon is more of an enigma and less judgemental, focusing more on the experiences and demons that shaped this man, his interaction with his aids (and their impressions of Nixon), and his relationship with his family, thus making the events much more tragic. 3. The film also conveys a greater sense of how a third rate buglary helped undermine what could have potentially been a great presidency that steered America and the world into a new age. In fact, Nixon did alter the course of America and the world, but with many unintended effects of a train derailment. |
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