JFK (1991) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: JFK
Year: 1991
Director: Oliver Stone
Country: US
Language: English

Moments after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination on November 22, 1963, the press and government officials assigned blame to a lone gunman. The popular theory: Lee Harvey Oswald. Working alone, he killed the President with three shots fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. Oswald was arrested, and then later killed by seemingly patriotic vigilante Jack Ruby. In the aftermath, Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren was tasked to investigate the assassination in 1964, and conclude the assassination was indeed caused by Oswald and Oswald alone. Conspiracy theorists wouldn't have it however.

In Oliver Stone's best known picture, a New Orleans DA discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.

Few other historical events have been debated so passionately by both the public and private spheres. Countless books, articles and reports have analyzed the details surrounding JFK's untimely death. By presenting these debates, Oliver Stone takes liberties with the historical accuracy of the event that marked the loss of "American innocence". Putting forth a singular filmic examination of the previous thirty years of theories, Stone fabricates a narrative out of truth, belief, and supposition. 

JFK is a metaphor for how American culture reacted to and feared the truth of the JFK assassination. Stone imbeds enough facts into his fiction that the audience cannot help but question the official story and, in turn, become detectives themselves. Stone wants his audiences to believe that forces conspired to carry out a political coup. This film got me hooked, even though I believe the official story. 

Stone's picture is expressive and sensational. He, and his cinematographer Robert Richardson, exaggerate  imagery for effect creating a rhythm and pace that make three hours go by really fast. The editors freely cut between real and recreated newsreel footage, black-and-white photography, and overexposed flashbacks. An aggressive reflector of American culture’s distrust for its government, JFK is a great picture.

Epilogue:
I will suggest that this film is less fun in 2016, because of how many conspiracy videos there are on the internet. It's disgusting to see films like Loose Change exaggerate for cinematic effect and manipulate the viewer into the filmmaker's own agenda. 

I hate seeing conspiracy theorists in Guy Fawkes masks, claiming that every single thing is a conspiracy and discounting real lives that have died. "Chemtrails!" Have you been to 2nd grade science? Did you learn about condensation trails?

I suppose I can't blame Oliver Stone for conspiracy culture, but JFK certainly doesn't help. I have no doubt this film adds fuel to the fire and has inspired crappy film-makers to make their "Titanic was a conspiracy!" video.