Every Oliver Stone Movie Ranked Worst To Best
7. Nixon
Few events in American history have been so scandalous as Watergate. When it came time for the 1972 election, Republican incumbent Richard Nixon had a sure-fire lead to his second term in officer. Against his opponent George McGovern, he had little chance of losing.
Yet he decided to cheat regardless, ordering "the White House Plumbers" to break into The Watergate Building to spy on the democrat party. This immensely controversial event is the topic of Oliver Stone's second political adaptation. The man at the centre is played with great gusto by Anthony Hopkins.
The director was fascinated by the impact of the Watergate Scandal and how the public felt towards their president. The film's story uses the event as a starting point, venturing further in exploring the 37th President's life story. In this way, it goes for a more humanistic tone, rather than levelling further criticism at the man.
It may not have drawn audiences into theatres, but its critical reception was still strong, putting Nixon among the best work Oliver Stone has done. It was generally enjoyed, but the Nixon family expressed great distaste towards the film, saying it was designed to defame and denigrate the former president. Considering the use of real-life footage of his 1994 funeral, these complaints ended up carrying more weight.