10 famous newspaper stories brought to the silver screen

All the President's Men (1976)

The film directed by Alan J. Pakula is a classic in American cinema, exploiting the most shocking press event of the 20th century: the story of the newspaperWashington PostWatergate scandal exposed.

On June 17, 1972, five thieves were arrested for breaking into the Democratic Party's offices at the Watergate building (Washington, USA) to install listening devices. Two young reporters from the newspaperWashington PostBob Woodward and Carl Bernstein followed the case, patiently following leads and uncovering a series of government violations. Their reporting led to President Nixon's investigation and eventual resignation in 1974. Two months after Nixon left the White House, Woodward and Bernstein published the bookAll the President's Mentell the story

The magnitude of the event, the talent of director Alan J. Pakula, and the performances of Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford as journalists make the work immortal.All the President's Menreceived 8 Oscar nominations and won 4, including "Best Adapted Screenplay". The American Film Institute considers it one of the 100 greatest works in cinema history. The film promotes the message of the importance of freedom of the press in preventing the expansion and corruption of power.

The Killing Fields (1984)

The film, directed by Roland Joffé, is based on the experiences of two journalists, Dith Pran (Cambodia) and Sydney Schanberg (USA) during the Khmer Rouge era. In 1975, Pol Pot's forces entered and occupied Phnom Penh - the capital of Cambodia. Schanberg (played by Sam Waterston) was briefly arrested and then released to the US, while his friend - Pran (played by Haing S. Ngor) had to work for the Khmer Rouge.

To survive the intellectual purges, Pran feigned innocence for years. Schanberg won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the conflict in Cambodia. But he was tormented by his inability to find his friend. As the Khmer Rouge gradually lost the war to the Vietnamese, Pran escaped with his fellow prisoners. He endured a harrowing journey before finally being freed and rejoining Schanberg at a Red Cross camp.

Throughout the film, many inhumane acts of the Khmer Rouge are exposed, shocking the audience.The Killing Fieldsreceived seven Oscar nominations and won three, including Best Supporting Actor for Haing S. Ngor. Ngor himself was a doctor and journalist who survived the Khmer Rouge.

Shattered Glass (2003)

The film's screenplay is based on an article by HG Bissinger published inVanity Fair, tells the life of Stephen Glass - who was once a "star" of American journalism but was brought down after making many mistakes. Glass (played by Hayden Christensen) was a reporter for the newspaperThe New Republic, became famous in the 1990s for his articles about some interesting portraits of society. However, many people began to suspect that Glass fabricated the stories, while inserting messages attacking certain groups of people and organizations.

After an extensive investigation, the newspaperThe New RepublicGlass admitted that at least 27 of his 41 articles were false. He had to end his journalism career and later pay more than $200,000 in compensation to the newspaper for his mistakes. Borrowing Glass's story, the movie reflects many problems of journalism, notably the dangers of fake but emotional news, causing journalists to live in such a "halo" that they forget their primary duty of finding the truth. 91% of critics gave positive reviews ofShattered Glass. AboveNew York Times, Stephen Glass said it was painful to revisit the shameful part of his life.

A Mighty Heart (2007)

Movie based on memoirA Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Daniel Pearlof MaRiane Pearl - a French female journalist born in 1967. She is married to Daniel Pearl - South Asia Bureau Chief of the newspaper.Wall Street JournalIn 2002, he was kidnapped by a group of Pakistani militants. Mariane began searching for her husband before learning that he had been murdered.

The film directed by Michael Winterbottom is highly appreciated for its emotional story, depicting the painful journey of a female journalist. She is not too sad or crying, but brave and intelligent, trying to find a way to solve the problem. The film also shows the reality that Western countries do not care much about protecting journalists working in sensitive areas, causing many to lose their lives while working. Played by Mariane Pearl, Angelina Jolie was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category "Best Actress in a Drama".

Zodiac (2007)

Director David Fincher directed the film based on the book of the same name by Robert Graysmith, about the investigation of a serial killer named Zodiac. He caused a series of murders in San Francisco (California, USA) in the 1960s - 1970s, teasing the police and the media by leaving letters and codes.

When Zodiac begins its work, Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) is a young cartoonist working at the newspaperSan Francisco Chronicle.Ignored by his editors, he took the case into his own hands. Later, Graysmith was assisted by crime reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.). The investigation dragged on for years, leaving Graysmith obsessed with the case. He came close to finding the killer several times, but ultimately failed to identify him. To this day, the identity of the Zodiac remains a mystery.

Frost/Nixon (2008)

The film, directed by Ron Howard, revolves around the famous interview between journalist and talk show host David Frost (Michael Sheen) and former US President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) in 1977. Three years after Nixon resigned (1974), Frost planned an interview with him, scheduled to be broadcast on television. The former President wanted to use this event to restore his public image after the Watergate scandal.

At that time, David Frost was still inexperienced and many believed that Nixon would easily overwhelm him. Frost struggled to prepare but still tried to understand his subject. When he started filming, he launched a series of surprise attacks that forced Nixon to admit that he had acted unethically. The interview made Frost famous, but Nixon's reputation was never restored. In addition to his success in portraying the character's inner thoughts,Frost/Nixonalso offers many lessons in interviewing. To "defeat" Nixon, Frost both attacked him fiercely and showed sympathy for the character. The work received 5 Oscar nominations, including "Best Picture".

Philomena (2013)

The British work was adapted from the bookThe Lost Child of Philomena Leeby journalist Martin Sixsmith, based on the true story of Philomena Lee. When she just lost her job, Sixsmith (played by Steve Coogan) agreed to write about Philomena (played by Judi Dench). 50 years ago, she had just given birth to a son and was forced to work in a labor camp. Her son was then given to another person to raise by the nuns and they lost contact. Martin helped Philomena investigate the whereabouts of her son. After much effort, they identified this person as Michael A. Hess - a famous lawyer in the US but died a few years ago.

The film raises questions about morality and religious belief. The investigation reveals that the church lied to Michael to prevent him and his mother from seeing each other again. When Michael asks about his mother, the nuns tell him that she abandoned him and has lost contact. By the end of the film, one nun - the one who separated mother and son - still believes that Philomena deserved her punishment for having sex outside of marriage.Philomenawon the "Best Screenplay" award at the Venice Film Festival (Italy), then received 4 Oscar nominations.

Snowden (2016)

Snowdenis the latest film by Oliver Stone - the master director of political films. The work revolves around the life of Edward Snowden (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - a former CIA employee who published shocking documents about the US government's surveillance of its citizens.

During his trip to Hong Kong, he secretly met with journalists and leaked information, then fled to Russia. Snowden remains a controversial figure to this day, seen as a hero by some and a traitor by others. In the film, Oliver Stone takes a sympathetic view of Snowden.

Documentary director Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) with Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill (Zachary Quinto and Tom Wilkinson) - two journalists from the newspaperGuardian- are important characters in the film. They meet and stand side by side with Snowden in Hong Kong, accepting to confront the US government. The journalists also go through a process of struggle and calculation to be able to publish valuable information about the government's shady activities.

Spotlight (2015)

This is considered one of the best films about journalism, recounting the story of the journalists of the newspaperBoston Globeinvestigated and published many cases of child molestation by priests in Boston (USA). The series of shocking reports caused hundreds of victims of abuse across the US to call the newspaper to report similar cases. The event spread beyond the US border, causing a series of cases of priests in Canada, Australia and Ireland to be exposed to the light.

Spotlightwas praised for its realistic portrayal and accurate description of events. Director Tom McCarthy chose a neutral narrative tone, not over-dramatizing the story. The journalists in the film are rational, calm, and consider things carefully. They have "hot hearts", are full of effort and courage, but always keep "cool heads" to analyze the situation.Spotlightwon "Best Picture" and "Best Original Screenplay" at the 2016 Oscars, and also received four nominations in the categories of director (Tom McCarthy), supporting actor (Mark Ruffalo), supporting actress (Rachel McAdams) and film editing.

The Post (2017)

The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, has just received two Oscar nominations this year. The film recreates the process ofWashington Postcollected and published the Pentagon Papers - a set of secret documents about the Vietnam War by the Pentagon - in 1971. The two main characters in the film are Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) - the newspaper ownerWashington Postand Ben Bradlee (played by Tom Hanks) - talented editor-in-chief.

Although full of politics,The Postnot dry, rigid but quite accessible. The film not only presents the events that took place, but also depicts the psychology of the key people in the case, helping the audience understand why they made the decisions. Borrowing the words of the character Graham, the work praises journalism and its profound values. From the beginning, she clearly identified that a newspaper that wants to develop must aim for quality, create a positive impact on society, not just pursue sales. Ms. Graham is also the owner of the newspaper.Washington Postwhen the newspaper broke Nixon's Watergate scandal. During this incident, she was threatened by a Nixon official but was determined to publish the shocking article.