Nixon Movie Review (1995)

A historical drama about a conflicted man who desperately wants to be loved on a grand scale, Nixon is a well crafted and suggestive film with a compelling star.

I have to admit, I have never been a history buff. It was my least favorite subject in school (although I probably would have loved it if Youtube and other short documentaries existed) and if I couldn’t get a vivid picture of something that happened, it all kind of ran together. As an adult, and with additional visual and conversational stimuli, I enjoy history much more, but I realize that there are a lot of gaps in the depth of the stories that I know.

Nixon is about the life and fall of Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States. Beginning with a break in at the Watergate complex, the movie covers his struggle at the end of his presidency, his relationship with his wife and her feelings on his campaigns, and his childhood among various other moments.

This historical drama is very long at over 3 hours, but it never feels that way. The movie is extremely well-paced and always kept my interest, so don’t let the length stop you from watching it.

Nixon and everything that happened with him was a little bit before my time, so I was really looking forward to learning who he was and how everything went down. Some of those questions got answered and some really didn’t.

The movie is shot beautifully, using both color and black and white with an occasional emphasis on shadows. Anthony Hopkins is remarkable as Nixon, with his captivating almost-black eyes that seem so unnatural to the actor that I kept looking at them. But in thinking back, it makes me wonder if something about that feeling was what the people around the real Nixon felt – a push and pull.

There is quite a bit of time spent on Nixon’s years as a child, losing his brothers, and his relationship (and fear of) his parents. His mother was exceptionally religious and expected greatness from him in order to keep the legacy of his brothers alive, and that pressure continues to peek through.

The movie does a good job of showing the audience that Nixon wanted to feel special. He wanted to be loved – by everyone around him as well as America. But seemingly over and over, that was a battle he was destined to lose.

What was never quite made clear is exactly what happened during the Watergate scandal and what Nixon’s involvement was. It was danced around, and if you already knew the history, you would have understood. I have a cursory knowledge and I was looking forward to something deeper, but maybe that’s not what this movie intended. It was much more artistic, with impressions, memories, and flashes of visuals, and never laid it out plain. So if you are looking for a historical explanation of his life and his presidency, this is not the movie you’ll get that from. Which is completely fine, I just didn’t realize that going in (although I should have, because Oliver Stone directed it).

All in all, Nixon is a solid film that will keep your attention and leave you feeling that Nixon is slightly more of a sympathetic character than the media might have you believe. I would guess that the truth is somewhere in the middle (isn’t it always?), but I really enjoyed watching this take on a complicated man’s life.

Runtime: 191 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 3.75/5 Stars

Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms