Oliver Stone's "Nixon" at 25: the humane look at the controversial figure resonates stronger than ever.

Well-liked but ignored by moviegoers upon release, Oliver Stone's impressive memorial to the controversial figure Richard Nixon is an overlong masterwork of filmmaking. A Shakespearian tragedy that gives the man a sense of humanity and ground as a genuine person, it's hauntingly moving in scope, score, acting (big ensemble cast here a la JFK), visuals (this is part of Stone's hyperkinetic period of the later 90s and it is a sight to behold), and drama. Endlessly quotable as well.

Some may quibble, I suppose. On a literal level, Anthony Hopkins isn't much of a Nixon. But treat it like an interpretation, the way one interprets Shakespeare's plays, and it really hits home. There's also the matter of how much stock one can take in the historical accuracy of it all, given how a lot of it is based on conspiracies, rumours, and even hypotheses, but the liberties taken are arguably less off-putting compared to something like JFK (though even that fantastic film can be defended on the basis of it being the story of devolving into general conspiracies) and easier to digest. All that really stands in the way is its intense 210 minute length.

While I'm not the best person to say it, one can argue its political relevance as a tale of a man of troubled background in control of a nation may hit pretty hard nowadays compared to 25 years ago, especially between two interchanging leaders that can easily be read in the same context as Nixon in this film. The way the film digs into who Nixon is, how he acts, what he stands for and fears, in a political climate on so much edge is exactly the kind of ailment one could ask for.

In general, though, it's just an awesome film. Point me to any other worthwhile Nixon films worth watching.

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