JFK OLIVER STONE'S controversial account of the as. sassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy indicts America's Military-Industrial Complex' for murder. The film claims the assassination was part of a secret coup. Its purpose - the promotion of war to boost profits.
JFK consciously imitates the style of 'Z' by Costa-Cavras. It is a thriller, but based on fact. The story of an honest investigator who diligently exposes tion of a charismatic left-wing leader by the state. Stone had a bigger budget, so his dramatic pressive. But he ends up using hestandard Hollywood dra matic device of a courtroom summation to deliver a long. moralistic monologue - a terrible way to end an excellent film.
The Warren Commission was set up by Kennedy's suc cessor, Lyndon Johnson, to cover up the conspiracy. Two of its leading figures were Allen Dulles (ex CIA Chief) and Gerald Ford (Nixon's hand-picked sucessor as President), sion was that Lee Harvey Oswald acted sassinate the Oliver Stone with Kevin Costner Stone relentRooly demonshes the conchtssions of the Warren Commussson. As a direct result of his film there are moves in Congress to re-open the investigation.
Stone believes that 22 November 1963 shattered America's innocence, profoundly altering the course of American society and its role on the world stage. He also believes that Kennedy would have withdrawn from Vietnam if he had been re-elected in 1964. As a Vietnam veteran, angry and disillusioned by the war, Stone views Kennedy as a romantic hero.
It is Stone's idealisation of Kennedy which has prompted many on the left to attack JFK. Kennedy won the election as President by taking a more ag gressively imperialistic stance than his Republican rival, Richard Nixon. It was Kennedy who launchea the space Race and acelerated missile producton. bobby sennedy. JFK's right hand man and later the daring of the anti-war tett, worked for Joseph MeCarthy during the ant-red witch During the Cuban Missile Crisis it was Kennedy who brought the world to the brink of all-out nuclear war. It was also Kennedy who first sent troops to Vietnam and it was his government who organised the overthrow and as sassination of the South VietKennedy is often credited legislation. In fact, the changes courts. His sucessor, the corrupt and reviled Johnson had a far better record.
There have been many con afia and Vice President ohnson have all been acetsed Stone links them all together in a grand conspiracy aiming to destroy Kennedy. No mention is made of Kennedy's close the Mafia. That the image of Camelot. Stone never considers up might have been used to proteer the reputanon or nor nedy and the American Presidency. Why has the rich and powerful Kennedy can kept so quiet? What do they have to hide?
JFK is worth secing - if you hours. It is a powerful thriller. It is a devastating attack on a state cover up. But don't get fooled by the romantic image of Kennedy. There is more to being left-wing then being handsome and articulate. Re member there are still a lot more questions that remain unanswered; in JFK these are not even asked. Midier and Caan strut their stuff ST