Secret Honor

You can search all you want, but you're unlikely to find a more impressive or important one-man performance than Philip Baker Hall's phenomenal portrayal of Richard M. Nixon here. Baker originated the role on stage, and he brings over 120 performances' worth of depth and devotion to Robert Altman's meticulously executed 1984 film version, which distills the play's essence into 90 riveting minutes. Produced as part of Altman's film class at the University of Michigan (the director was then at a career low, with ample time on his hands), Secret Honor captures Hall's unforgettable Nixon as a disgraced, paranoid, defiant, drunken husk of a man, looking back on Watergate and offering twisted rationales for his infamous presidency, which was defined by rampant mistrust and insecurity. And yet, Donald Freed and Arnold M. Stone's probing script also presents a very human Nixon, accessible to all, and sympathetic if not condonable. The result is an autopsy of sorts: a ruined man, performing a besotted coroner's report on his own political career. Hall reportedly burned off pounds during each performance, and it's easy to see why: he's a manic dervish of anguished self-analysis, and no matter how accurate or inaccurate Secret Honor may be in its historical speculation, it remains a timelessly relevant study of Nixon's tortured character. DVD extras include perceptive audio commentaries by Altman and Freed, a revealing interview with Hall (who was relatively unknown at the time), and 81 minutes of archival film clips from pivotal moments in Nixon's career. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (J. Shannon)