During a pivotal scene in Oliver Stone’s 1995 study of the former U.S. president, a top aide assures the impeached leader that history will be a kinder judge of character than his contemporary critics. And although presented as a stark account of the man’s questionable success in public service, Nixon strives to find the heart and soul of the historical figure as well. At times, Richard Nixon (Anthony Hopkins) is portrayed as a foul-mouthed monster holding court over his contemptuous cabinet and staff. In other moments, he is painted as a pitiful, misunderstood political misfit haunted by inner demons and distracted with internal struggle.

The film is a dizzying series of events that unfold out of order. It begins with Watergate, and Nixon’s determination to keep his secret White House tape recordings from the public, and then travels back in time to show his humble upbringing as a young Quaker in Whittier, Calif. Initially triumphant as a political witch-hunter during the red scare of the 1950s, Nixon is soon handed back-to-back defeats in the early ’60s. At the request of his estranged wife, he withdraws from the political arena—until John Kennedy’s assassination and Lyndon Johnson’s reluctance to run for re-election swings the momentum his way. He wins the 1968 election in a landslide, but his thirst for power remains unquenched, and his sense of purpose muddled. The subsequent downward spiral of the Vietnam War and the scandalous cover-up surrounding his administration forces him to resign a broken and battered shell of a man.

Director Oliver Stone’s usual fictional fetishes and conspiratorial urges are certainly in play, but his subject this time around seems to warrant such a paranoid depiction. In the lead, Hopkins is suitably menacing and moving in turns, and Joan Allen is nearly perfect as Pat Nixon. The supporting cast is a veritable who’s who of character actors, including the likes of James Woods, Ed Harris, and Bob Hoskins (to name a few). John Williams’ majestic score lends to the sweeping capitol landscapes and the dark halls of absolute power in equal parts. Nixon is an overlooked drama that deserves more attention—especially considering today’s comparable political environment.

Walter Simpkins is Senior Writer for featurefilmreview.com. Please e-mail comments to walter(@)featurefilmreview.com.