Breadcrumb-sized clues lead Bernstein and Woodward to a connection between the break-in and a White House staff member. Woodward applies his curious nature to get in on the story. The story unfolds as they ask the right questions. They sleep little in their dogged effort to track down sources. They come up against challenging individuals. And even fewer people who are willing to talk.
Bernstein and Woodward face disapproval. They are repeatedly told they have nothing to work with. A seasoned editor, Harry Rosenfield, vouches for the journalists. “Howard, they’re hungry. You remember when you were hungry?” This is the heart of Woodward and Bernstein’s efforts. It boils down to delivering the truth, while protecting the freedom of speech that whistleblowers like Deep Throat exercise. Bernstein and Woodward build rapport and trust among their sources. Otherwise, they cannot prove themselves worthy of the story. And the American people would not understand the fraud happening right under their noses.
They work at the story for weeks. Rumpled suitcoats, stale cigarettes and black coffee underscore the process. They work against the clock and external forces to polish their story. They take notes on napkins and receipts. They hunt down accuracy. They cannot afford to be wrong.
The team knows that incriminating documents were shredded. They go door to door seeking a source to confirm. Bernstein stumbles into the company of a reluctant bookkeeper. She had direct access to the slush fund they’ve scrupulously uncovered. She’s afraid of retribution. The energetic pair coaxes creative yes or no answers from her. Their tireless rapport divulges major information. All the while they remain calm and courteous. They protect their sources and appeal to public interest as they hurtle towards justice.
Chief editor Benjamin Bradlee trusts them to get the story right. It’s why he has lofty standards. The profession demands their accountability, or bust. Their insistent devotion to human detail proves them to be worthy journalists. Their work is about people. Connecting with them, collaborating with them and providing an essential service. American people need government transparency. Woodward and Bernstein safeguard the press. They deliver a story that demands attention and justice.
A peer journalist, Sally Aiken, provides them with crucial information. When they ask her why she took so long to inform them she said, “I guess I don’t have the taste for the jugular like you guys have.” Our two reporters retain their laser focus to the end.
The U.S. is tainted by political conspiracy. The media is often conflagrated by it. Corruption exists among the rich and powerful. It is far more sophisticated in the modern technological age. Illicit activity is often discovered through money trails. Fraud is woven with obstruction of justice, secret tapes and congressional hearings. We see this in the most recent presidential election. The alleged involvement of Russia under the Trump Administration. Similar thought processes occurred in both of these scandals. Sophisticated hacking parallels what occurred in “All the President’s Men.” But all methods of spyware and infiltration disrupt the country. They influence major political and economical events.
Knowledge is a powerful tool in the human arsenal. Conspiracy, corruption and status quo all bleed into the moral structure of our country. Extraordinary journalists bring the truth to the American public. There are powerful people who undermine democracy. They bury covert operations. There are others who boldly deliver the truth. Often at no small cost to their careers and lives.
This movie portrays the real-life investigation of a decade. It is a genuine message that reverberates through the bones of Americans to this day. The dangers of unchecked power still come boiling head to head with the Constitutional First Amendment. “All the President’s Men” defines the journalists who stood between the two in the not-so-distant past.
