‘JFK’ raises serious questions about John F. Kennedy’s death

JFK (1991)

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

The best American political films make you think, challenge you and present old information in a new light – which is exactly what Oliver Stone’s 1991 movie “JFK” does.

Stone is a sometimes heavy-handed, preachy director who often leaves audiences feeling like they’ve been hit over the head with a ton of bricks. But in “JFK,” Stone found the perfect vehicle to channel his film making style. “JFK” is his finest motion picture and the screen’s best political film.

Kevin Costner stars as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, the only person to bring criminal charges related to Kennedy’s assassination. Although Garrison failed to win a conviction in his case, his lengthy investigation allows Stone to revisit a pivotal point in U.S. history.

Garrison, a loose cannon in New Orleans politics, was ridiculed by the many people who thought his efforts were an embarrassing waste of time. Stone, though, uses the Garrison investigation to examine any and every conspiracy theory about Kennedy’s death.

Top Five Week continues at Sneak Prevue, and today I look at the Top Five Political films. “JFK” leads the list at No. 1.

FRAME FROM THE ZAPRUDER
8 MM FILM OF KENNEDY ASSASSINATION

NO. 1: JFK (1991)

Stone turns his obsession with Kennedy’s assassination into a thrilling, endlessly fascinating political thriller. The intricate and complicated story follows Garrison’s probe of possible New Orleans ties to the assassination – ties that lead to the indictment and prosecution of businessman Clay Shaw.

Central to the film is the famous Zapruder film, an 8 mm home movie that Abraham Zapruder captured of Kennedy’s motorcade and assassination on the streets of Dallas. The detailed, frame-by-frame analysis of the Zapruder film in “JFK” is amazing. After watching “JFK,” you know there’s more t the story than we have been told..

Stone’s film is three-hours long in its original cut that played at theaters. He re-edited the film for home video, adding 17 minutes of additional footage. While I love the theatrical cut, I also recommended the extended version. Both are excellent, riveting films that speed by despite their length.

ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)

NO. 2: ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976)

The United States was still reeling from Watergate and the resignation of President Richard M. Nixon when actor Robert Redford pulled together a talented group of actors and film makers team to produce “All the President’s Men.”

Working from the Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein book about their work at The Washington Post to unravel Watergate conspiracy, screenwriter William Goldman crafts a neatly compressed film. This is the best movie ever made about journalism.

As newspapers shrink their staff, dedicated journalists lose their jobs and hard-nosed, tough-as-nails newspaper reporting seems like a thing of the past, “All the President’s Men” reminds us of the good things that solid, investigative journalism can do and has done for our democracy.

Redford stars as Woodward, and Hoffman stars as Bernstein. The two guide us through a maze of contradictions and lies that was Watergate. We see the dangers they faced uncovering the truth. And, in the film’s most famous line – one Goldman created for his screenplay and not found in the Woodward and Bernstein book – we learn to “follow the money.”

DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I
LEARNED TO STOP  WORRYING
AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964)

NO. 3: DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964)

Stanley Kubrick originally planned to film the doomsday novel “Red Alert” as a straight thriller. His idea later morphed into this satirical take on nuclear war, something only Kubrick could film.

With a cast that includes Sterling Hayden, George C. Scott, Slim Pickens and Peter Sellers in three different roles, Kubrick crafts a painfully funny film about the end of the world.

The screenplay features an endless parade of brilliant lines including this one from Peter Sellers: “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here. This is the war room.” Or how about this one from Pickens he prepares to bomb Russia: “Well, boys, I reckon this is it. Nuclear combat, toe to toe with the Rooskies.”

And who can forget the image of Pickens whooping and hollering as he rides the bomb on the way to the ground? This early work from Kubrick hints at the greatness yet to come.

NIXON (1995)

NO. 4: NIXON (1995)

Four years after “JFK,” Oliver Stone returned to politics with this impressive biography of Richard M. Nixon. Stone follows Nixon from his youth through the Watergate scandal and his resignation from office.

Stone uses a non-linear approach to tell his story, shifting time periods often and using different types of film stock. As a surprise to many people, Stone paints a sympathetic portrait of Nixon.

Anthony Hopkins may not seem like the perfect choice for Nixon – he doesn’t look at all like the former president. But once again, Hopkins turns in another fascinating, impressive performance.

FAIL SAFE (1964)

NO. 5: FAIL SAFE (1964)

While Kubrick goes for laughs, director Sidney Lumet goes for suspense. “Fail Safe” is, essentially, “Dr. Strangelove” played without laughs, a realistic and frightening film about the brink of nuclear war.

Henry Fonda leads an impressive cast that also includes Walter Matthau and Dan O’Herlihy. Rising cold war tensions leads to a mistaken nuclear attack on Moscow and New York – and a chilling reminder of the threat of nuclear holocaust.

Lumet, who would later direct such classics as “Dog Day Afternoon” and “Serpico,” creates a perfect thriller that raises serious issues. The film was later remade for television by George Clooney. I recommend the original.

HOME VIDEO AVAILABILITY

• “JFK” is available on DVD and Blu-ray high definition disc for purchase or rental. Click here to purchase the special edition Blu-ray disc with the Oliver Stone’s extended director’s cut. 
• “All the President’s Men” is available on DVD and Blu-ray high definition disc for purchase or rental. Click here to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon.com.
• “Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb”  is available on DVD and Blu-ray high definition disc for purchase or rental. Click here to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon.com. You also can stream the film to your computer or television through Netflix. 
• “Nixon”  is available on DVD and Blu-ray high definition disc for purchase or rental. Click here to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon.com. Click here to purchase the DVD from Amazon.com.
• “Fail Safe” is available for purchase or rental on DVD; the film is not available on high definition Blu-ray disc. Click here to purchase the DVD edition. 

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