Frost And Nixon Film Analysis

Frost/ Nixon
Only one man in the history of the United States has ever resigned his presidential position, Richard M. Nixon. The 37th president was facing impeachment due to involvement in the Watergate scandal, but before facing a trial he resigned and was granted full pardon by the 38th president also known as his former vice president Gerald R. Ford. The American people were outraged that Nixon had dodged the judicial system and wanted answers about his participation in the cover up and one man, David Frost, interviewed the former President. The film Frost/Nixon directed by Ron Howard demonstrates the 1977 post-Watergate interviews between the British talk-show host David Frost, played by Michael Sheen, and former president Nixon, played by Frank Langella. The film ties in material learned in class by

including scenes that deal with the media, political parties, public opinion, and the constitutional powers of the presidency.
The film Frost/Nixon begins with a variety of televised media covering the Watergate scandal and former President Nixon’s resignation (Howard, Frost/ Nixon). Today as technology has advanced Americans are beginning or have been getting their news from the Internet. However, according to the chapter “The Media,” television remains the main source of information reaching most of the population nation wide (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, and Tolbert 253). The textbook We The People defines broadcast media as “television, radio, or other media that transmits audio and/or video content to the public” which includes watching videos online about politics (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, and Tolbert 253). Although, the Internet was not a source of gathering information over the Watergate scandal in the 1970s radio and especially television played a major role in distributing Nixon’s resignation speech amongst Americans nation wide during this complex time period.
The media accused the former president of having knowledge over his republican party’s illegal espionage for his reelection campaign.

Chapter 9 “Political Parties” describes the term as “organized groups that attempt to influence the government by electing their members to important government offices” (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, and Tolbert 341). The Republican Party nominated Nixon for presidency and won in 1968 and when the 1972 election grew closer the Republicans nominated the incumbent again for the position. In 1972 “Nixon defeated Democratic candidate George McGovern by one of the widest margins on record” (Freidel and Sidey, “Richard M. Nixon”). The film depicts a scene where political parties are discussed in the media with connection to the Watergate Scandal (Howard, Frost/ Nixon). Political parties are known for helping their candidate win elections however, the Watergate scandal dealt with illegal spying to win reelection and whether or not the former president had knowledge over what was occurring. The 37th President was facing impeachment over the wrongdoing but before being voted out of office he officially resigned on the 9th of August in

1974.
Vice President Gerald R. Ford acquired the United States presidency on August 9, 1974 after Nixon resigned. In the film Frost/ Nixon President Ford is shown on a television while Nixon lays on the hospital bed with his family by his side listening to the President grant him pardon (Howard, Frost/Nixon). That scene demonstrates a connection with the material learned in class over the Constitutional Powers of the presidency. Chapter 13 “The Presidency” informs the readers about the president’s expressed powers, which includes granting pardons along with other things that cannot be revoked without an added amendment to the Constitution (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, and Tolbert 519). Since presidents are granted these powers when gaining office President Ford went ahead and granted full pardon to Nixon (Freidel and Sidey, “Gerald R. Ford”). This pardon allowed Nixon to escape the judicial system by not being able to be convicted of anything related to the Watergate scandal thus leading to an angry outcry by Americans because they felt that justice had not been served.
Nixon never admitted to covering up the Watergate scandal and everything on everyone’s minds nationwide was whether or not Nixon had anything to do with it. David Frost a British talk show host was the first to interview Nixon post-Watergate. In the film Frost/ Nixon David Frost, played by Michael Sheen, decides to dedicate 25% of his interview to the Watergate scandal due to public opinion (Howard, Frost/ Nixon). Chapter 6 “Public Opinion” describes the term as “citizens’ attitudes about political issues, leaders, institutions, and events” (Ginsberg, Lowi, Weir, and Tolbert 205). The film ties the concept of public opinion by demonstrating Frost’s willingness to incorporate what most Americans were interested in, Watergate. Richard Nixon, played by Frank Langella, was angered because Watergate was the lowest and worst term he could be connected to, but a contracted signed by the talk show host and the former president forced them discuss the topic (Howard, Frost/ Nixon).
The main idea of the film Frost/ Nixon was to inform the viewers of the interviews that took place in 1977. The film does a great job using the factual dates like August 8, 1974 when Nixon announced he would resign the next day (Freidel and Sidey, “Richard M. Nixon”). The film makes sure to use his exact words from his resignation speech beginning with “This is the 37th time I have spoken to you from this office, where so many decisions have been made…” (Nixon). The interviews portrayed in the film do a decent job of using the wording from the actual interviews. However, at times it does seem rather Hollywood than the actual interviews because it shows David Frost’s reaction as annoyed as the former president drags on with his answer. It also seems rather Hollywood because it makes the last interview, the Watergate interview, suspenseful as if Nixon will confess to participating in the illegal activities.
Although, the movie was factually correct over the interview occurring between the talk show host and the 37th president it was biased in making the president look guilty. The journalist Elizabeth Drew describes the film as “A Dishonorable Distortion of History” claiming that the movie was biased and incorrect in Nixon’s response to being involved in Watergate (Drew). The film portrays Nixon as being guilty by “admitting that he ‘…was involved in a ‘cover-up,’ as you call it” but she argues the fact that Nixon in fact said, “You’re wanting me to say that I participated in an illegal cover-up. No!” (Drew). Peter Travers from the Rolling Stone agrees that although he enjoyed the performances by the actors there were fictional scenes like Nixon calling Frost at midnight drunk before the final Watergate interview (Travers). The movie is biased because in the actual interviews and through Nixon’s life he never once admitted to participating in a cover up but the film gave the audience the answer they wished they had received from him.
Overall the film although being biased does a decent job in tying in governmental material learned in class. For example demonstrating scenes like the media covering Nixon’s resignation due to the scandal his political party participated in. And when Nixon used his constitutional powers of presidency to grant full pardon Americans were outraged causing the British talk show David Frost to include Watergate in his interviews due to public opinion.