Nixon - The Election Year Edition DVD: Review By Dodd

Oliver Stone is undoubtedly a director to attract controversy. This is most notably so in his films that center on former and current US presidents. His most critically acclaimed work was the conspiracy theory drama JFK which focused on the possible truth behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Then there is his most recent dramedy W, which dared to lampoon George W. Bush while the man was still in office. On the spectrum between the financially and critically successful JFK and the not-so-praised W was Stone's more overlooked Nixon from 1995, which focused on Richard Nixon's life and presidency prior to his resignation. In light of the recent election, this is probably the best time to market films focusing on controversial politics. Nixon has been given the double dip treatment in the Election Year Edition.

In 1995 I lived in a small town that frowned upon controversial dramas of epic proportion, so I was unable to catch this in the theater. Even if it did come to my town, there would have been the whole issue of me being 14 and trying to see a dense film about a former president. Now that I've had the chance to see it for the first time, I must say the film is quite a marvel. This is not the theatrical cut, but rather Stone's 213 minute cut in its entirety. The film is more of a focus on Nixon's political career rather than a comprehensive biopic, but there are fragments of his childhood thrown in for good measure. To explain where the film starts would be a challenge because the structure of the film jumps all over the place. However, it does begin with what everyone equates with the presidency of Richard Nixon and that is the Watergate scandal. We initially are introduced to E Howard Hunt (Ed Harris), Gordon Liddy (John Diehl), and a group of mysterious men who are arrested for the infamous Watergate burglary. Without further ado, the film jumps to Nixon (Anthony Hopkins) being advised of the incident. The president is aware that those arrested for the break-in are his employees and he will stop at nothing to cover this up, even if this means paying the men to not talk. Yes, this is only the first 15 minutes of Nixon, and Stone has not wasted any time implying that Dick Nixon was, indeed, a crook.

The rest of the film is somewhat of a headtrip with no chronological order. We visit Nixon as a boy in a black and white Depression era where he lost two of his brothers to tuberculosis. There is also emphasis on his prior attempts at the presidency that ended in depressing defeat for Dick and also ended in a promise with his devoted wife Pat (a winning Joan Allen) that he would never run again. Of course, history dictates that his promise was broken, and the possible toll it took on his marriage is depicted here. Of course a lot of time is also devoted to the Watergate scandal itself, and those infamous taped conversations that put Nixon in hot water.

Nixon is simply a good film. It is not one that I would call a masterpiece, and it is also not a film that should be missed. Oliver Stone is a filmmaker who wows me in the sense that he is essentially a loony conspiracy theorist with a camera (my apologies to offended Stone devotees). The director does not care so much about historical accuracy in getting across his message. His mission statement here does not so much appear to be burning Nixon in effigy, but to make a film about a man who truly meant well but failed after misusing his power. This is not so much a potshot at Nixon, but a commentary on the error of man. Nixon is not so much of a villain but a person who made the wrong choices.

While this is a plus, there are also those Oliver Stone touches that are a tad too much. Stone does not hesitate to tell history based on historical facts and tabloid rumors alike. In his depiction of J. Edgar Hoover (Bob Hoskins), he depicts a homosexual man who lounges by the pool with his life partner and forces his flaming man servant to eat fruit from his mouth. There were rumors floating about Hoover's sexuality, but come on Stone!

However on the upside there are the actors here who give it their best. I recently saw Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon and have to give honors to Frank Langella for nailing Trick Dick. However, Anthony Hopkins really comes in as a solid runner up here as the former president. When you see the thespian in make-up while delivering a nervous speech with Nixon's trademark lip perspiration, one forgets that this man is the gray-haired theater veteran who played Hannibal Lecter. The same can be said for Paul Sorvino who is completely unrecognizable as Henry Kissinger. Joan Allen, in her brief time onscreen, is also a marvel in her Oscar-nominated role as Pat Nixon.

The DVD is a double dip, so it comes equipped with special features we have already seen. However, the main event of this double disc set has to be the fresh doc*mentary , Beyond Nixon, which is directed by Oliver's son Sean Stone. This is basically a comprehensive refresher on the Nixon presidency that features numerous interviews. The most distinguished interview here has to be that of John Dean, who is portrayed in the film by David Hyde Pierce. Dean was one of Nixon's first advisors to come clean about the scandalous happenings in the White House.

The DVD also includes two commentary tracks with Oliver Stone that are carried over from the original DVD. These are quite a treat if you are up for investing the extra time. I was not able to sit down for the full shows as I did not have the spare 7 hours. The first track A is relatively dry with more emphasis on the filmmaking and casting details. The second track B is a little meatier and refers to the historical content itself. I couldn't resist jumping to the J. Edgar Hoover scenes to hear Stone's admission that the depiction is over-the-top, but that he could not resist.

The DVD also includes an insightful, one-hour interview with Charlie Rose, and deleted scenes.

Widescreen (2.40:1). There is no denying that Stone can direct. Rather than make a boring biopic, he creates an atmosphere of nightmarish paranoia and voyeurism.

5.1 Dolby Surround. When the score is by John Williams, you can expect nothing but the power and emotion.

There are 2 discs included in this DVD, and both come in a standard case with a decorative sleeve. The front cover pictures a silhouette of Hopkins as Nixon in his memorable farewell pose before leaving the White House.

The most recent edition of Nixon is a must-have for admirers of the film that have not yet invested in the original version. However, previous owners will feel a little gypped having to shell out the extra money just to get a doc*mentary that is good, but, let's face it, not enticing enough to throw out a perfectly good DVD for another one. If you are simply intrigued by the film in this recent politically charged atmosphere, then I think a rental will suffice.

dodd@movieweb.com