A knowledge of the Watergate scandal isn't a prerequisite for watching this, as the film is not about the scandal per se, but the journalistic sleuthing that uncovered it. And yet the filmmakers quite reasonably assume a topical understanding of the surrounding events from the contemporary audience. They should be applauded for not patronizing the audience by filling in too much of this information. However, in 2021, swaddled in my utter ignorance of 1970s US politics, it does become a handicap. Watching two men grasping in the dark, when you yourself are in the dark, is not much fun. The movie's pacing is such that at times it moves very slowly before flinging a flurry of names and linkages at you before retreating back into the shadows. I was left with a sense that more important and interesting events and repercussions were taking place off-screen. This does become tedious as the film moves forward.
That said, the highlight of the film is seeing Hoffman and Redford applying their logic, using stealth and coercion to eliminate the possibilities and zone in on the truth. However, these scenes are few and far between and the rest of the running time is made up of fairly stolid political drama and intrigue and newsroom scenes. Possibly the film is a victim of its own success, as I sense its influence on all sorts of TV and film, meaning that certain scenes and characters have lost their impact and feel rather humdrum (the pot plant on the window sill; the "Deep Throat" character; the compromised duplicity of some informers, typewriters clacking for exposition etc.)
Overall, a good film, but I don't know that it has stood the test of time.
That said, the highlight of the film is seeing Hoffman and Redford applying their logic, using stealth and coercion to eliminate the possibilities and zone in on the truth. However, these scenes are few and far between and the rest of the running time is made up of fairly stolid political drama and intrigue and newsroom scenes. Possibly the film is a victim of its own success, as I sense its influence on all sorts of TV and film, meaning that certain scenes and characters have lost their impact and feel rather humdrum (the pot plant on the window sill; the "Deep Throat" character; the compromised duplicity of some informers, typewriters clacking for exposition etc.)
Overall, a good film, but I don't know that it has stood the test of time.