Typewriters
The film opens with a typewriter; it also ends with one. The film begins with a simple date: June 1, 1972. From there, the Post reporters are constantly on typewriters, writing stories to put out into the world. By the end of the film, two years have elapsed and all of their hard work and hustle has turned from a slow trickle of typing into an avalanche of headlines.
Secret Places
The location that Deep Throat chooses to meet with Woodward in is something straight out of a film noir. An empty parking garage, a trench coat, a cigarette. The secret thriller aspect of the film is heightened by the noise of cars rumbling in the distance to highlight the necessity of anonymity with the leaks.
Washington D.C.
The seat of power in the United States, the footage of the ubiquitous capitol adds a constant stakes to the film. The White House, the Washington Monument all loom in the background of the film, reminding the viewer that the country was founded by honorable men who would likely find the deceit, ambition, and ra-tfucking abhorrent.
Telephones
Telephones are everything in this film; they can open doors, they can provide a quote, or they can reveal that someone is hiding something. From rage from John Mitchell to a clearly false denial proceeding an admission by the library of Congress librarian, it's rare to see Woodward or Bernstein without a receiver in their hands.
