REEL CRITIC:

The low approval rating of the current president, George W. Bush, pales in comparison to the level of vitriol directed at President Richard M. Nixon. Nixon had sparred with the press throughout his political career and reportedly reacted to these perceived attacks by keeping an “enemies list,” authorizing illegal wiretaps, and using federal agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service to go after opponents.

During the campaign for his second term in 1972, Republican operatives broke into the office of the Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., on June 17. While this probably occurred without Nixon’s knowledge, his involvement in the ensuing cover-up brought Nixon to the brink of impeachment and possible criminal indictment. As a result, Nixon resigned the presidency Aug. 9, 1974, becoming the first and only president to do so.

Nixon’s resignation did stave off impeachment, but the threat of criminal proceedings still loomed. This possibility was eliminated in 1974 when Nixon’s successor and former Vice President Gerald Ford granted a full and complete pardon for any acts he may have committed during his presidency. Nixon never admitted any wrongdoing and hoped to retire quietly to his estate in San Clemente.

During his exile, Nixon explored book deals and accepted money for speaking engagements. He effectively avoided any questions regarding Watergate and was living a comfortable, if reclusive, lifestyle. This changed when a little-known British talk show host sought to book him for a series of in-depth interviews for the then-unheard-of sum of half a million dollars.

The talk show host, David Frost, was a moderately successful 38-year-old comic and television personality in England and Australia, better known for his playboy lifestyle than his journalistic credentials. Frost had previously failed in his attempt to host a talk show in America. Wanting very badly to crack the American television market, Frost hit upon the idea of interviewing Nixon, which he thought would have tremendous commercial appeal. However, Frost was not taken seriously as an interviewer and could not sell the program to any of the American networks.

Nixon had been sought as an interview subject by most of the serious journalists of the day, including Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley and Mike Wallace. Television networks did not pay for interviews at the time, and the Nixon camp was concerned about the probing interview styles of these well-known journalists. Obviously enticed by the large remuneration, the Nixon camp viewed Frost as a lightweight and felt the former president could easily outmaneuver him intellectually.

On the hook for nearly $2 million personally for Nixon’s fee (negotiated to $600,000) and associated costs, Frost decided to try syndicating the interview after the fact. The interviews were to take place over 12 sessions with carefully negotiated subject matter. Only the final session would deal with Watergate. The financial viability of the entire project hinged on Frost being able to elicit something new and provocative from the famously guarded former president.

The new film “Frost/Nixon” recounts these events. The film is based on a successful play of the same name and stars Frank Langella as Richard Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost. Playing well-known historical figures is always a challenge. In trailers, Langella’s Nixon appears to be mere caricature, but five minutes into the film, the nuanced nature of his portrayal becomes apparent, and he essentially becomes the former president. Sheen, best known for playing Tony Blair in “The Queen,” captures the likable but pugnacious Frost perfectly.

Initially the interviews go horribly wrong for Frost. He allows Nixon to ramble on, expertly ducking the hard questions and sounding very presidential in the process. Frost’s executive editor, Bob Zelnick (Oliver Platt), and researcher James Reston Jr. (Sam Rockwell), implore him to get aggressive with Nixon, but he can’t seem to pull the trigger. Finally, only the last interview session remains. Without some new revelation from Nixon, the project cannot be sold. Frost will be ruined financially, and he and his staff will be written off professionally as well.

Before the final session, a beleaguered Frost receives a late-night phone call from a seemingly inebriated Nixon. The former president relates to Frost, as he views him as an unappreciated social climber, which is how he perceives himself. Telling Frost he is a worthy adversary, Nixon promises to come at him “no holds barred.” This exchange, probably a dramatic device, invigorates Frost, who finally prepares himself to trap Nixon and save the project.

“Frost/Nixon” is a beautifully crafted film that provides insight into an already well-known historical event. The characters are three-dimensional and thoroughly explored. Sheen’s Frost is a man at a crossroads. Moderately successful and on the brink of stardom, the Nixon interviews become the hallmark of his career and establish him as a premier television journalist. Langella fleshes out Nixon in such a way that he becomes a tragic figure of Shakespearean proportions. Nixon is a fascinating man but is never likable, an elusive quality he, unlike Frost, never attained or fully understood.

“Frost/Nixon” will probably be best appreciated by people who lived through the events. Accordingly, it may not be a huge commercial success but has already been recognized by several Golden Globe nominations, which will likely be followed by similar Oscar nods.

If you have even the slightest memory of or interest in Watergate, you must see this film.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.