Nixon

Oliver Stone is nothing if not a bold filmmaker. His films aren't always good, but even his biggest failures (ahem, Alexander) are willing to take risks and fail rather than just be bad on their own merit (or lack thereof). And knowing that subtlety has never been one of his virtues, I was very surprised to find how thoughtful, well-rounded, and well, subtle, this film was. Of course much of that subtlety can be attributed to the masterful performace of Anthony Hopkins as that most reviled of U.S. Presidents, Richard Nixon. I would imagine that Stone has no love for Nixon, yet this film does not make him into one-dimensional nincompoop bent on destroying the world, but as an almost Shakespearian tragic hero. He was a man who wanted to do good, and by the time he resigned, had accomplished what he had set out to do, but the people hated him for it, and he could never figure out why. In some ways this could be compared to Robert Altman's great, though underseen, Secret Honor. It's just over three hours long and covers Nixon's life from childhood (in flashbacks) to his political career, and of course to Watergate and beyond. Joan Allen also turns in a strong performance as his loyal wife, and in the process, provides the heart of the film. Robert Richardson's strong, period cinematography, and some typically powerful montages add to the epic nature of the film. Only Oliver Stone could get away with opening on a title card with the verse from Matthew in which Jesus says, "What profits a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul." What indeed? I would call this one of Stone's finest films, comparable to, though not quite as good as JFK.