Stones Nixon
In his monumental and often controversial film Nixon, director Oliver Stone gives us a unique view on one of history’s most misunderstood individuals. Younger generations of Americans have become entrenched to think of Richard Nixon as an abuser of the privileged office he once held. Stone, however, “portrays Nixon as a troubled man” whose strict upbringing led to both his rise and utter demise in American politics (Ehrlichman, 44). Psychologically, Stone portrays Nixon’s conscious in the “form of his mother” and relies on this as a “huge influence” on his life (Kuznick, 11/14). Attributing Nixon’s relentless desire to win as a result of his strict faith- based upbringing in Whittier, California is only one of many elements director Oliver Stone brilliantly weaves into what he calls “the most complex film made on American political history” (Kriesler, 6/27). Recalling the harsh criticism he received for his previous film, JFK, director Oliver Stone begins his portrayal of Nixon with a disclaimer to the audience informing them that certain events therein are fictional. Few directors dismiss their obligation to accurately portray historical events; within the first few minutes of his film Nixon, however, Stone is placing “a great deal of responsibility on the audience” to take certain depictions as fictional (Kuznick, 11/28).