The assassination of President John F. Kennedy is one of the most controversial subjects in American history. While many want you to believe Lee Harvey Oswald was the man that pulled the trigger, there have been countless theories made in regards to that afternoon in Dallas, Texas. The theories range from not only who really shot and killed the president but why he was killed.
While we may never know who really killed President Kennedy, the conversation continues to remain a focal point of not only conspiracy theorists but the general public conversation. The Kennedy family remains one of the most talked about families in history and in 1991, Oliver Stone added to the conversation with his last great film, JFK. It was adapted by Stone and Zachary Sklar from the book, On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs.
JFK opens with a voiceover by Martin Sheen while showing newsreel footage of the President, including the 1961 farewell address of outgoing President Dwight D. Eisenhower, warning about the build-up of the “military-industrial complex”. What follows is a run down of John F. Kennedy’s years as President, emphasizing the events that would lead to his assassination. This builds to a reconstruction of the assassination on November 22, 1963. What follows is New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) learning about potential links to the assassination in New Orleans which leads to an investigation as to what really happened that day.
While not the first film about Kennedy, JFK is a joy to watch and quite possibly the most insightful and entertaining look at the assassination. Stone is able to combine historical facts and splatter some of his views on the matter without insulting the intelligence of the audience. As a film, it is beautifully shot and paced well that made the 3-hour and 25 minutes a breeze.
While not physical resembling Jim Garrison, Kevin Costner offers a riveting performance as him. Throughout the film, Costner displays his determination, fearlessness, at not only the strides made in the case but the frustration to those not willing to assist in the investigation and the ultimate conclusion of the film. Tommy Lee Jones aids the film in a scene-stealing performance which naturally led to him garnering a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
With a subject, this sensitive, the release of JFK was not without its own share of controversy. There were major American newspapers who ran editorials accusing Stone of taking liberties with historical facts, including the film’s implication that President Lyndon B. Johnson was part of a coup d’état to kill Kennedy.
Despite the negative press, the film earned over $205 million worldwide and was a player at the following year’s Academy Awards as it was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture. The film went on to win two Oscars for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.
JFK remains a film that starts conversations after viewing. The film opens up a Pandora’s box that up until that time had not been done in an effective manner. While it only concentrates on one conspiracy theory, it leaves its audience wanting more. They’ll be searching Wikipedia and other search engines to gain information as to what may have happened.
The history books are not always right and JFK is proof of that.
Reel Talk gives JFK 3.5 Reels
