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An Exploration of Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon Alexandra Rocca

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An Exploration of Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon Alexandra Rocca Reenacting Reality: An Exploration United States was born on January 9, 1913, of Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon and grew up amid humble surroundings in Yorba Linda, California.1 As a boy, Nixon lived a modest Quaker life and endured the Alexandra Rocca loss of two brothers to tuberculosis.2 Early Senior, History hardships and disadvantages inspired the young Nixon to work industriously, and he A black screen. There is the beat of a eventually paved his way to law school at steady drum, akin to the strum of a drumline Duke University in North Carolina.3 After at the gallows. As the screen is bathed in light, private practice and government service, he two subjects sit opposite of each other: on one volunteered for the navy in April 1942, during side, British talk show host David Frost; the the Second World War. Nixon’s status as a other, former disgraced President Richard veteran helped launch his political career.4 He Nixon. The year is 1977, it is Richard Nixon’s won a seat in the House of Representatives for comeback for redemption after his resignation California’s Twelfth Congressional District at from the presidency three years earlier. The the age of 33, then went on to win a seat in the events that unfold become known as the Senate in 1950. He progressed to serving as Frost/Nixon interviews and are later Vice President under President Dwight D. immortalized in the 2008 film, Frost/Nixon. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961.5 As Vice As a man, Nixon is infamously remembered President, Nixon’s steely wit complemented as Tricky Dick, with a character that is chiefly Eisenhower’s affability. In 1959, he was viewed as mysterious and perplexing. No film acclaimed for his performance in the infamous has explored this seemingly impenetrable Moscow “kitchen debate” with Soviet Premier individual as effectively as Frost/Nixon. With Nikita Khrushchev.6 its largely faithful reenactments and its During Nixon’s tenure as Vice attempt to understand Richard Nixon rather President, he attempted his own ascent to the than judge, Frost/Nixon is a film that honors presidency in the election of 1960, but lost both cinematic entertainment and historical against Democrat John F. Kennedy. His defeat fact. was foreshadowed in the first televised debate in U.S. history: Kennedy shone with his youth Although Frost/Nixon offers an in- and dashing confidence, while Nixon sweated depth, graphic account of the Frost/Nixon stoically. In 1962, Nixon ran for Governor of interviews on and off the screen, and California and lost again.7 Failure did not scrutinizes the complex persona of President deter Nixon though, it only stoked his Richard Nixon, the film reveals little about its determination. After spending some years pivotal subject’s background. One who setting up a successful law practice in New watches the film with no prior knowledge of York, he ran for president again in 1968. He Nixon nor the Watergate scandal may be left won, attributing his victory to his ignorant to its significance. Since Frost/Nixon championing of America’s “silent majority” assumes that the audience is already aware of who yearned for the restoration of “law and his career and infamy, it is crucial to order” in the tumultuous 1960s.8 contextualize Nixon before extensively As President, Nixon primarily focused exploring the film. The 37th President of the on foreign affairs. He had to face the Vietnam 1 War, which cast a dark shadow over Frost, a British talk show host known for his predecessor Lyndon Johnson’s administration, frivolity and womanizing, is among the 400 and would become the first lost war in U.S. million watching the President’s resignation. history. With Henry Kissinger as his aide, and He is immediately inspired and decides he later Secretary of State, Nixon slowly wants to interview Nixon, knowing the withdrew American troops while backing the success that would ensue. Frost contacts South Vietnamese.9 He eased Cold War Nixon’s literary agent, Irving “Swifty” Lazar, tensions with visits to the communist capitals with an offer of $500,000 out of pocket. of China and the Soviet Union in 1972.10 At Lazar, knowing Frost to be a “lightweight” home, Nixon notably attempted welfare interviewer, sees the opportunity for Nixon to reform but the plan was killed by an often- salvage his reputation, and agrees for a fee of resistant Congress.11 His foreign policy $600,000. Frost gets to work, and hires a team success won him the presidency again in of “crack” investigators, James Reston, Jr. and 1972, one of the biggest landslides in US Bob Zelnick, who are determined to “Give history.12 Despite Republicans’ general ardor Richard Nixon the trial he never had.”16 The for Nixon, he had fostered an adverse Frost and Nixon teams agree to 28 hours of relationship with democrats, which ultimately taping, which would be cut into four 90- prompted his involvement in Watergate. minute specials: Foreign policy, domestic After five men broke into the policy, Nixon’s personal life, and Watergate. Democratic National Committee headquarters Frost seems unconcerned in the period leading at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, it up to the interviews, while Reston and Zelnick was discovered that some had ties to the warn him to be wary of “Tricky Dick”. Under White House.13 It was brought to light that the scrutinizing eye of Nixon’s chief-of-staff, Nixon and his aides had been involved in Jack Brennan, Frost and Nixon commence the numerous illegal acts, including bugging interviews. In the seconds before the cameras opponents’ offices and searching through begin rolling before one session, Nixon private records; they attempted a cover-up by inquires, “Did you do any fornicating [last paying off operatives and censoring transcripts night]?”—Frost is nearly rendered speechless of secretly taped conversations recorded in the for an initial moment on camera.17 “Tricky Oval Office.14 The scandal rocked the country Dick”, indeed. Nixon dominates the first three to its core. Upon impeachment proceedings, interviews. Frost attempts to constrain him Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, with no with difficult questions, but Nixon rambles his admission of wrongdoing.15 He later admitted way around them. Frost’s team is furious that to his failures in a 1977 televised interview Nixon is effectively exonerating himself, and series with British talk show host David Frost, Frost realizes that the interviews will be a the event of which Frost/Nixon chronicles. debacle if the Watergate interview continues in the same fashion. Days before the final Though Frost/Nixon mainly takes interview, Frost receives a late-night phone place during the interviews in 1977, the film call from Nixon. Inebriated, Nixon rants about opens after the Watergate scandal in 1974, how the two of them emerged from humble showing how Nixon shocked the world by backgrounds and had to fight their way to the becoming the first president in United States top. He acknowledges that the interviews will history to resign amid threats of impeachment. make one’s career and break the other’s, and 2 vows to do everything in his power to emerge attention to historical detail complements the as the final victor. Frost springs into action, film, but he ultimately believes that the film’s feverishly preparing for the impending success boils down to the intensity of the Watergate interview. As the final taping acting, transforming it into a “spellbinding begins, Frost presents Nixon with recently thriller”.25 Following its immense critical uncovered, damning evidence that Nixon was praise, Frost/Nixon went on to be nominated involved in the Watergate cover up. Nixon for 5 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor rebuts in a culminating moment, “When the (Langella), Best Director, Best Adapted president does it, that means it is not illegal.”18 Screenplay, and Best Editing.26 Brennen immediately emerges and halts the session, urging Nixon to reconsider Frost/Nixon is largely true to history in proceeding with the interview. Nixon declines, its depiction of the interviews. Ron Howard’s and as the cameras roll again, he admits to use of authentic locations, such as Nixon’s participating in the Watergate cover up and house in San Clemente and Frost’s original apologizes for letting the American people hotel suite, further assimilates the viewer into down. The interviews conclude and are a the time period with authenticity.27 But like all success when they air. Frost and Nixon historical cinematic narratives, Frost/Nixon is cordially meet one more time with Nixon not without its artistic license. The film admitting defeat. As Frost turns to leave, he modifies various aspects of the interviews, on mentions Nixon’s surprise phone call. A and off the screen. The effect is a brilliant perplexed Nixon responds, “What phone piece of cinema. The visual dedication to call?”19 The film ends; an epilogue states that historical accuracy, however, such as Nixon never escaped controversy until his Howard’s shooting on historic locations, may death in 1994. dupe the viewer into thinking all the events— Directed by Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon or lines in the interviews—are true to reality. was released in late 2008 for limited release The inaccuracies, albeit few and subtle in and early 2009 for wide release.20 It is based comparison to most historical films, must be on the 2006 play of the same name by British addressed for clarification. playwright Peter Morgan, who also adapted First, Frost/Nixon omits a crucial the screenplay.21 The film features Michael aspect of the monetary negotiations between Sheen as Frost and Frank Langella as Nixon, Frost and Nixon’s team.
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