JFK

Year: 1991

Grade: A-

Country: USA

Director: Stone

Review

like everyone, oliver stone has a point of view and that factors into the product he is creating. he makes this obvious in natural born killers, born on the fourth of july, platoon and others. some might call this a detractor, but it is merely something to bear in mind. jfk is a necessary historical document…whether you agree with any of the conspiracy theories put forth (there are several that are addressed in the film) or not, you must acknowledge its importance as a social document. it brought to light an issue that had been dormant for many years and thus exposed the conspiracy question to another generation. i feel it is important to know the past because it is prologue (as the film points out), some might have you think otherwise. enough about the historical significance of the film onto the movie itself…it’s a finely constructed work on all fronts – the screenplay is very well done – it balances several storylines without much confusion and provides varying points of view accurately and in a mostly balanced way. i think it’s obvious that stone favors the “military industrial complex” conspiracy theory, but that’s not because he contorts of facts to support that conclusion more, rather it’s because he places the film within the context of general and president eisenhower’s farewell speech (warning against the “military industrial complex”), america’s past colonialist behavior, and the vietnam war. conspiracy theory or not, one must be absolutely thick-headed to view the facts presented in the film (and in the accompanying book) and not be very weary of the commissions conclusion that there was only one shooter acting alone. a well-done and compelling drama.