Nixon
Nixon
A look at President Richard M. Nixon—a man carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders while battling the self-destructive demands from within—spanning his troubled boyhood in California to the shocking Watergate scandal that would end his Presidency.
Charles London reviewedMarch 5, 2025
Oliver Stone is tasked with making a likable movie about an unlikable character, the egnimatic Richard Nixon. The tragic parallel is that throughout his political career, and also the film, Nixon laments his unlikable persona while raging jealously against the nation's love for JFK and RFK, though one could argue that Nixon's accomplishments exceeded anything the Kennedys did.
There are some good scenes scattered about in this film of 3 hours plus, and Nixon's paranoia, self-destructive behavior, and ultimate undoing are well dramatzed by Anthony Hopkins. If you are willing to put in the time, the movie does just enough to warrant a viewing, albeit with a hint of caution.
Buyer beware. In spite of it's accomplishments "Nixon" is difficult to truly embrace, because just like Tricky Dick himself, it's simply unlovable. Irony can be cruel.