《Frost/Nixon》　福斯特對話尼克松　真實的人性總是灰暗的

No.091　《Frost/Nixon》　福斯特對話尼克松　真實的人性總是灰暗的

英文導讀

Frost/Nixon is a 2008 historical drama film based on the 2006 play of the same name by Peter Morgan which tells the story behind the Frost/Nixon interviews of 1977. The film was directed by Ron Howard and produced for Universal Pictures by Howard, Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment and Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title Films. The film reunites its original two stars from the West End and Broadway productions of the play: Michael Sheen as British television broadcaster David Frost and Frank Langella as former United States President Richard Nixon.

The film tells an untold story of the historic encounter between Richard Nixon, the disgraced president with a legacy to save, and David Frost, a jet-setting newsman with the interview of a lifetime, that changed the relationship between politics and journalism forever.

For three years after being forced from office, U.S. President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate scandal that ended his presidency. Nixon surprised everyone in selecting David Frost (Michael Sheen) as his televised confessor, intending to easily outfox the breezy British showman and secure a place in the hearts and minds of Americans.

Likewise, Frost's team harbored doubts about their boss' ability to hold his own. But as cameras rolled, a charged battle of wits resulted. Would Nixon evade questions of his role in one of the nation's greatest disgraces? Or would Frost confound critics and bravely demand accountability from the man who'd built a career out of stonewalling? Over the course of their encounter, each man would reveal his own insecurities, ego and reserves of dignity—ultimately setting aside posturing in a stunning display of unvarnished truth.

Reviews of the film were positive. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 92% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 216 reviews, with a weighted average score of 7.9 out of a possible 10. Among Rotten Tomatoes's Top Critics which consists of popular and notable critics from the top newspapers, websites, television and radio programs, the film holds an overall high approval rating of 90%.

The film received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Langella), Best Director (Howard), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing.

獲獎情況

2009年第81屆奧斯卡：最佳影片提名、最佳導演提名、最佳男主角提名、最佳改編劇本提名、最佳剪輯提名。

影片信息

導演：朗·霍華德

編?。浩ぬ?middot;摩根

主演：麥克·辛、弗蘭克·蘭格拉、山姆·洛克威爾、凱文·貝肯

類型：劇情、歷史

制片國家（地區(qū)）：美國、英國、法國

上映日期：2008-12-05（美國）

片長：122分鐘

又名：《福斯特對話尼克松》《驚世真言》《請問總統先生》

劇情簡介

水門事件發(fā)生之后，尼克松總統（弗蘭克·蘭格拉飾）在白宮引咎辭職。而隨后相當長的一段時間內，尼克松消失在公眾面前，一直保持沉默，也沒有以個人的立場和名義對水門事件做過任何評價或是表示懺悔。但外界的媒體可沒有那么健忘，畢竟水門事件的影響是巨大的。福斯特（麥克·辛飾）是一個在澳大利亞主持脫口秀的英國花花公子，在直播中看見尼克松搭乘直升機離開白宮時，萌生采訪他的意念，并決定付諸實踐。

在福斯特的不斷努力下，尼克松總統終于答應了采訪的要求，不過一切都出乎尼克松的預料，電視臺選擇的采訪人甚至不是美國人！而是一位英國記者弗羅斯特。不過弗羅斯特看起來絕非刁鉆狡猾之輩，而是保持著英國人特有的紳士風度，看上去和藹可親，于是乎尼克松開始準備對策。

這是一場針尖對麥芒的爭斗，福斯特的采訪團隊也在為他們的采訪作全方位的準備，尼克松能夠擔任美國總統并且在國際政壇中游刃有余，絕對是機智和狡猾的完美集合體。對于信奉自由和民主的美國民眾來說，他們要求知道水門事件的真相，但這次采訪卻又不僅僅面對的是美國人，而是整個世界。所以如何拿捏這個度，是對戰(zhàn)雙方都頭痛不已的問題。

這次電視采訪變成了一場空前的口才辯論，成為了一次史無前例的智慧交鋒，一位是久經沙場的總統，一位是經驗豐富的記者，采訪的過程中真是刀光寒閃、暗箭橫飛。在采訪高潮到來時，尼克松史無前例地承認“我讓美國人民失望”。而那句“一旦總統竊聽就意味著竊聽不再是非法”的臺詞，更使這次訪談超出了采訪的界限，最終成為了美國新聞史上的一個銘記歷史的轉折點。

制作花絮

在朗·霍華德確定執(zhí)導本片之前，有好幾個大牌導演想參與影片的制作：馬丁·斯科塞斯、邁克·尼科爾斯、喬治·克魯尼、薩姆·門德斯和貝尼特·米勒。

在電影中扮演尼克松的弗蘭克·蘭格拉和扮演福斯特的麥克·辛繼續(xù)在電影中出演，這也是朗·霍華德同意拍攝本片的條件。

憑借電影中的尼克松這一角色，弗蘭克·蘭格拉獲得了2007年的托尼獎。

出于政治方面的考慮和限制，影片只能在美國有限的院線進行放映。

重點學習

Confront the questions of his time in office

我們都知道，office有“辦公室”的意思，文中的in office不是“在辦公室”的意思，在此是“執(zhí)政，在位”的意思。比如：During his last year in office, he attended an official ceremony.（在他執(zhí)政的最后1年，出席了一個正式儀式。）一般而言，我們用“in the office”表示“在辦公室”的意思。比如：She rounded upon him in the office,charging him with telling lies about her.（她在辦公室里對他大發(fā)雷霆，指責他造她的謠。）

Ultimately setting aside posturing in a stunning display of unvarnished truth

Set aside是英語中一個固定搭配，在文中是“留出”的意思，比如：Set aside time in your daily life to go outside.（在日常生活中留出一點時間來出去走走。）該搭配還有“不顧，把…撇開，把…擱置一旁；對…拒絕考慮（或不接受）”的意思，比如：She set aside all objections and married the poor young man. （她不顧大家的反對，嫁給了那個貧窮的男青年。）另外，set aside還有“把…存儲起來；抽出（時間等）”、“把…放在一邊；使分開”、“撤銷，駁回，宣布…無效”的意思，比如：The appeal was set aside.（上訴被駁回了。）

單詞時間

broadcaster[?br?:d?kɑ:st?] n. 廣播公司；廣播員；播送設備；撒播物

untold[??n?t?uld] adj. 數不清的；未說過的；未透露的；無限的

encounter[in?kaunt?] n. 遭遇，偶然碰見

jet-setting[?d?et?seti?] adj. 闊佬們的；噴氣式飛機旅游界的

commander-in-chief[k??ma:nd? in t?i:f] n. 總司令

all-inclusive[??:lin?klu:siv] adj. 包括一切的；廣泛的；詳盡的

outfox[?aut?f?ks] vt. 以計取勝；以機智勝過

disgrace[dis?ɡreis] n. 恥辱；丟臉的人或事；失寵

confound[k?n?faund] vt. 使混淆；挫?。挥憛?；使混亂

accountability[??kaunt??bil?ti] n. 有義務；有責任；可說明性

unvarnished[??n?vɑ:ni?t] adj. 未涂漆的；無裝飾的；無掩飾的