Stereotypes In The Film All The President's Men

‘All the President’s Men’ saves the American Dream
Debrah Miszak, Reporter “All the President’s Men” tells the story of real-life Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, portrayed by Robert Redford (“The Way We Were”,“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”) and Dustin Hoffman (“The Graduate”,“Rain Man”), respectively, and how they uncovered the Watergate scandal, which shook the American public’s trust in the federal government even more than the Vietnam War and the Kennedy assassination. However, the film does not focus on the scandal itself, but rather the process by which Woodward and Bernstein broke the story. The film is a staple for many journalists, and it presents many stereotypes of what it means to be a “classic” journalist. The journalists and editors shown smoke like they’re betting on who will need a tracheotomy first, and they swear like sailors. Woodward lives in a sparse apartment, cluttered with open books and old newspapers, which are strewn liberally across the small space. Bernstein uses a typewriter that is apparently on its last
Their chemistry together is truly remarkable, and the dialogue, written by screenwriter William Goldman (“The Princess Bride”) is realistic and quick-witted, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it were an influence to Aaron Sorkin (“The West Wing”, “The Newsroom”). Redford does a remarkable job as “hot-shot newbie” at the Post, and does, more so than Hoffman, romanticize the role of journalist. He gives intense stares, scribbles notes furiously onto a notepad, pesters sources for questions, and handles the anonymous source, “Deep Throat” (Yes, you can giggle. This real-life code-name was chosen to share the same phrase as the then popular, shall we say, “art film”) with remarkable coolness. Hoffman, as Carl Bernstein, counteracts the idealism of Redford well though, playing the more seasoned reporter who knows how to win the