The individual known as Mark Felt, dubbed "Deep Throat," orchestrated the fall of the White House.
In the world of political thrillers, few stories resonate as deeply as the Watergate scandal, and the man who played a pivotal role in its unraveling - Mark Felt. The film 'Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House' offers an unprecedented look at this historic event, presenting Watergate from the perspective of the highest offices of power.
Liam Neeson, renowned for his roles in Kingdom of Heaven and The Grey, was cast as Felt in this gripping drama. Neeson immersed himself in Felt's autobiography, 'The FBI Pyramid,' Bob Woodward's memoir 'The Secret Man,' and watched numerous television appearances of Felt to prepare for the role.
Writer/director Peter Landesman was hired to pen the screenplay for the film in 2005, before he had directed any movies. Landesman spent three years with Felt, albeit when Felt was in his 90s and beginning to suffer from dementia. During this time, he also interviewed Felt's family and several FBI agents for the film.
The film producers, Giannina Scott and Ridley Scott, were intrigued by the Mark Felt story after Landesman showed them his script in 2015. Ridley Scott and his production company, Scott Free Productions, soon committed to making the film.
Felt, a former #2 man at the FBI, was trained in counter-intelligence during WWII and had a fluid skill set for telling untruths if necessary for his work. However, his actions during the Watergate scandal were far from typical. Felt risked and ultimately sacrificed everything, including his family, career, and ultimately his freedom, to bring what he knew to light.
Before being revealed as 'Deep Throat' in the Watergate affair, Felt was active as the Associate Director of the FBI, a highly significant position within the agency, which implies involvement in important investigations and internal affairs at the FBI during that period.
Landesman was fascinated by people under pressure and in crisis, and what happens to them and what they do. For the film, he had two full-time researchers going through FBI documents, Nixon's tapes, and other recently available public documents.
Felt was a man of many faces, according to Neeson. He was both a straight arrow and a careerist, a man torn about what he did, as it went against his instincts and training as an FBI man, but felt duty-bound to expose Nixon's corruption.
The identity of the secret informant remained a source of intense public curiosity and speculation for over thirty years, until Felt revealed himself through an article in Vanity Fair in 2005. Landesman used Felt's books, 'The FBI Pyramid' and 'A G-Man's Life' (written with John O'Connor), as foundational material for the screenplay.
With Neeson's compelling portrayal and Landesman's meticulous research, 'Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down The White House' promises to be a gripping and insightful look into one of the most significant events in American political history.
