Analysis Of Alan Pakula´s 1976 Film: All The President's Men

Communication can be classified into eight primary areas (Wood, 31). The most expansive branch being interpersonal communication. Capturing the fundamentals of personal relationships, interpersonal communication is defined as “...not a single thing but rather a continuum that ranges from quite impersonal...to highly interpersonal…” (Wood, 2013, p. 32). Personal relationships, and relationships as a whole, consist of both verbal and nonverbal communication aspects. Both of which can be seen throughout Alan Pakula’s 1976 film, All the President’s Men. The relationships shown in All the President’s Men are between two characters and their so called interviewees. There is a collection of communication concepts present in these relationships showing diversified verbal and nonverbal actions and attitudes that establish an interpersonal confirmation between the involved, as well as the progression of the social penetration theory during the course of the film.

The film follows two Washington Post beat reporters, Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman), a journalist who has been in the business since he was sixteen years old, and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford), a journalist who had been working for

The first manifestation of recognition, the first level, develops at The Washington Post office building. Recognition is explained as “the communication awareness that another person exists and is present” (Wood, 2013 p.336). Harry Rosenfeld, editor in charge at The Washington Post, is discussing local news with Howard Simons, managing editor when Carl Bernstein slowly makes his way past the office door, trying to eavesdrop. He continues to slowly pace back and forth until his presence is known and Rosenfeld brings him in the office. Rosenfeld recognized that Bernstein was interested in what he was talking about, and later put him on the Watergate scandal beside