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Summary: JFK - Special Edition
Review: The first time I saw JFK - I found myself all tensed up...wondering what exactly was coming next. I just loved this movie on VHS - but when DVD came out I just had to buy the Special Edition. It's got 17 extra minutes of footage not in the original. Those extra minutes do add to the movie. JFK is a fast-paced flick that will keep you going. It will get you thinking about the past & about who knew what & who did what. Donald Sutherland as Mr. X brings in some insightful information - that keeps you guessing. This is such an enjoyable movie. It will take you on such a ride.
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Summary: A dizzying cyclone effect.
Review: Who did Oliver Stone make JFK for? Historians? He must have known that they would drag him through the mud for throwing in every popular conspiracy theory regarding the JFK assassination. He must have known they would scream about fabricated characters meant to represent an amalgam of resources in the name of saving time. He must have known that he would be railed for portraying Jim Garrison ( played by Kevin Costner ) as a white knight of truth.The fact is Oliver Stone didn't make JFK for historians. He made JFK for non-historians of American history. At the time I saw JFK I had read history, but only European history, and mostly the Middle Ages. After JFK I read two books about the assassination and did a little research on the internet. More importantly it lead me to reading books on the Vietnam war, the cold war, the depression, the first world war and the second world war. If JFK can get the jaded MTV crowd to get up off their seat and read about history then JFK has done it's job. The argument has been made that JFK teaches the wrong history. It is felt that our youth will be harmed by believing that the movie is truth. In all honesty a person who gets their history from films or the daily headlines is lost anyway. The genius of Oliver Stones direction is to use Hollywood pyrotechnics and a bitter time in our history to create desire in the viewer - a desire to seek the truth. ...and what a film. The great director Martin Scorsese once said that he wasn't very original when it came to the way he used his camera and the way he edited. He went on to say that he had studied the masters and merely updated the means by which they directed. Perhaps this is a humble oversimplification, but Scorsese, a premier film historian should know. While some of the devices seen in JFK's camera work and editing might have been used before, it has never been used to such degree. Using stock footage, hand cranked cameras, black and white/color jump cuts and overlapping audio techniques JFK creates a dizzying cyclone effect (He would out-do himself in the same way, in the great NIXON ). I wasn't born when JFK was shot and killed, but I can imagine that those days and the subsequent 10 or more years seemed like wise - a dizzying cyclone effect. I hope that JFK has found others wanting to get up and look at history as a means of understanding our future. It seems to me that the memory JFK deserves no less.
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Summary: A Monumental Achievement
Review: ... This movie is truly a breakthrough because it challengesthe cowardice and silence of the American people regarding the JFKassassination, while also portraying excellent characters, each with their own unique characteristics. The cinematography, pace, and dialogue make this film absolutely mesmerizing. ... Stone has done extensive research on the assassination using both books and human sources that were involved in the American government at that time. I suggest that you read Stone's counter to historian's criticisms in the book "Oliver Stone's USA". Of course, he does not possess all the facts regarding the Kennedy assassination, but he has used numerous resources to speculate on the mysterious death.... Read up on the CIA's secret histories and then decide the logic for yourself...
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Summary: Riveting, Powerful, Relevant
Review: One of the 90's best films is also one of the most important, Oliver Stone shares his views on the JFK assassination and it is nothing short of brilliant. This is an important film that everybody should see at least once not just for it's subject but also for the way it is made, this is a film that is like nothing you have ever seen before. This film holds you in a bearhug of tension throughout the entire 3 hour and 8 minute running time. I recommend that everybody sees this movie, you will never forget it.
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Summary: Rage and Pain
Review: This is not really a movie at all. It's a screed. A statement. A howl of pain. I know of no other movie to which it compares. Stone seems tortured by the event, and doubly tortured by an official explanation that insults his intelligence and that of the American people. Unfortunately he buys into the rather spacey "High Cabal" theory of J. Fletcher Prouty, and that's a problem. He doesn't even understand the state of the CIA at that time in history. To put it simply, it was profoundly f'd up. As we are now well aware, they had the Mafia on the gov't. payroll, and the agency was itself split into many factions and filled with a lot of crackpots and, shall we say, "eccentrics." The sane people - people like John McCone - were not entirely aware of all the shenanigans that were in play at the time. The inmates ran the asylum. A truer film would have revealed more of the tragicomic nature of it all. There clearly were more people involved in the murder than the silly little fellow with the fake Russian accent. The evidence is now abundant that Oswald probably shot no one. And at least Stone accomplished this for the man. But there was no "grand" conspiracy. That's not how conspiracies work, anyway. There's a new book about how Bill Clinton was "hunted." It's a great book, a serious book, and shows how conspiracies are loose affairs connecting like-minded people with similar goals. The wonderful thing is that such conspiracies are rarely if ever "covered up." The JFK affair is an instruction manual in how NOT to do a coverup. The official story was silly from day one. But it was a tense time, and they didn't want to find out where the trail might lead. The government carrying on with the Mob was very embarrassing. Reputations and careers were at stake. I do not think it is too late to search for living conspirators and bring them to official justice. Garrison took a wild stab at a difficult time and made mistakes. There's still time to adjudicate the matter with more success than Garrison.
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Summary: Relentless, Daredevil filmmaking
Review: This movie is sheer brilliance in terms of craftmanship. The sound, the editing, the cinematography are nothing short of awe inspiring. Just look at how brilliantly the editors seemlessy wove a combination documentary footage, reenactment footage, and the actual realtime film into the actual film. Just that alone makes it worth watching. You can't take your eyes off it. We all know that it is not all true, facts were twisted, estimated, or flat out fabricated in this film for dramatic effect. The thing is, that could not be helped. NO ONE knows what really happened except the ones who planned and executed the assassination and they are probably dead and buried. Stone's film sticks to you and stays with you for days after viewing. It's one of those films that you can't wait to tell someone about after viewing. One hell of a film.
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Summary: The biggest can of worms of the 20th century
Review: "The organising principle of any society Mr.Garrison is for war, the authority of the state over its people resides in its war power" Mr.X to Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) in J.F.K. . Oliver Stone pretty much lays out his case in the first 30 seconds of the film with a speech by President Dwight D. Eisenhower warning against the accumalation of power my the military industrial complex. His theory is that the army and the overall war machine need a war inorder to justify their existance and maintain their power. He names names, like Bell Helicopter and General Dynamics, companies that had Billions to lose in the event of world piece. The imagery, theories, drama and ideas contained in 30 seconds of sceen time of this film exceed what other films contain in their entire running time. As the film starts we are told by voice-over that there is a secret war being waged by the CIA and angry Cuban exhiles against Castro, Kennedy inherits this war which leads to the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion which ofcourse was a complete disaster. Kennedy wants to make piece with the Russians, wants to pull out of Vietnam and thus is labeled a communist and an "Irish bleeding heart". What follows is a vast conspiracy between all branches of the government, the mob and the Cuban exhiles to assasinate him. One of Jim Garrison's assitants logically asks him "How on earth can you keep a conspiracy like that running between all these people when you know for a fact that you can't keep a secret between 12 people in this room?" That is a logical question, and Stone concedes that his film is partly a theory, but what he does is much more important that prove WHO killed JFK, because "WHO" as the mysterious Mr.X (Donald Sutherland) puts it is just scenery for the public, what Stone does show is "WHY" he was killed. The root of all the conspiracies in JFK is the office of an ex-FBI man, now working as a PI in New Orleans. His name is Guy Banister(Ed Asner), and he doesn't seem to do any PI work at all, through his office every character in the conspiracy will pass, from Lee Harvey Oswald(Gary Oldman), Clay Shaw(Tommy Lee Jones) and Dave Ferry (Joe Pesci). They are all rabid anti-communists, scheming how to get rid of the beard(Castro), organising militias in the anti Castro movement. All this in the same street in New Orleans as the offices of the FBI, CIA, Secret Service and ONI. Bizarrely Oswald who as the Warren Comission would have people believe was a "communist" chose to spend most of his time there. It is obvious that he was being set up from the biginning, perhaps even setting himself up as the "sacrificial lamb". All this may make this film look like an incomprehensible flood of political jargon, but what make Stone's achievement a near miracle is that all this is wrapped is a package that is riveting, fixating, gripping and brilliant from start to finish. I could use all the positive adjectives in the world and not come close to describing the impact of this film. Stone mixes documentary footage with black and white and colour photography to create a hypnotic whole that feels dangerous. He manages to give the audience a feeling that they're seeing classified information they are not supposed to see. There are numerous cameos by big stars in small roles like John Candy, Walter Mathou, Jack Lemmon and Kevin Bacon just to name a few, but these are not distractions, they give a film a measure of importance. Throw in John Williams superb score and Robert Richardson's beautiful photography and turning away from the screen is simply not an option. There isn't space to praise all the performances in the film, but three particularly stand out. Tommy Lee Jones as Clay Shaw, Joe Pesci as the manic Dave Ferry and surpirisingly Kevin Costner in the lead role as Jim Garrison. This is definitly Costner's best performance to date, his final speech in the court room is riveting. Kennedy said "We all inhabit this small planet, we all breath the same air, well all cherish our children's future and we are all mortal". He was trying to breakdown the barriers between people, and they killed him for it. Who "they" are will probably remain an eternal mystery, but at least we know why they did it. JFK is not only Oliver Stone's finest and most important film, but one of the best films of the 1990s.
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Summary: Great film
Review: In my opinion no matter if you agree or not with this movie it is still very good. I thought that there was some very good actors playing the parts. I thought it was strange that they got Jim Garrison to have a bit part as Earl Warren.One strange thing i noticed in the trial portion was when they were showing the film of the killing.When the last shot that they saycame from behind the picket fence.If as soon as the film shows the guy firing the last shot slow the film down on one frame advance and see if you see anything that looks like a bullet coming toward his head. Maybe i am wrong but it sure looks like it if you keep one frame advancing until the bullet hits. I may be way off base on this.I would ask that you check it for yourself.If i am wrong it wouln't be the first time.
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Summary: Will hold you until the very end of the final credits!
Review: There is much to be said about this film. For one thing, it is, in this reviewer's opinion, the best film of the 1990's. Nearly every frame is loaded with huge amounts of information. And regardless of what you have heard, with the exception of a few minor changes, it IS accurate information. As director Oliver Stone had said in reponse to the critics of JFK, a filmmaker must be allowed a certain amount of creative license. After all, were the best biographical films before and since acclaimed for their factual truth actually perfect models of accuracy? Not likely. So why the urge to single this one out? I believe it was because of the controversial nature of the subject and all of the negativity the Warren Report has received. It was, in short, an attempt to discredit all involved (much like the Warren Commission attempted to do with many of it's witnesses) including the instigator of the only trial in the assasination of the 35th president of the United States. For all the mistakes made during said trial, Jim Garrison alone stood up to the people and organizations that tried to keep the truth about that fateful day in 1963 from surfacing. He and he alone is the most responsible for bringing the other theories out in the open. Yes, there had been many books written that criticized the slipshod way the Warren Commission "investigated", but it was the trial of Clay Shaw in the late 60's that brought many of the speculative theories to the main stream public for the first time. Despite Garrison's sometimes questionable methods, no one can deny the man his motive: to bring forth the truth in what might very well be the crime of the century. Stone is relentless in HIS quest for the truth, and it's this marriage of director and story that make the film so remarkable. In scene after scene he reinstates Garrison's vulnerability with the public. But this did not stop Garrison. Nor over twenty years later in 1991 did it even put a dent in the opinions of Oliver Stone. The director uses his connection and knowledge of the 60's that was so apparent in many of his other films-PLATOON, BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY and THE DOORS, particularly-to attempt to tell the absolutely mesmerizing story of the D.A. of New Orleans' search for the facts. He holds the viewer with a series of superbly edited but very quick sequences that really give a DVD player a workout. Thank goodness for slow motion. The script wisely and fittingly tells this story through the eyes of Garrison himself. You really feel the persecution he feels as he becomes more and more obsessed with his search. When his wife (well played by Sissy Spacek) finally confronts Garrison with his obsession, your heart is in your throat. It's obvious that even with the people he had working for him, the D.A. is basically a man alone. In the final monologue, based on Garrison's final address to the jury, you certainly hope he succeeds. Fortunately, Stone balances the emotions of a family torn apart, with some stunning scenes based upon the beliefs and findings of authors such as Garrison himself, Mark Lane, Jim Marrs and David Lifton. For the first time we have a big budget, well exposed film that combines all the theories together. The director's cut only further proves Garrison and Stone's opinions. The scene in the washroom could make even the most secure person paranoid. And the light banter of the talk show host (played by John Larroquette) while interviewing the District Attorney is more evidence of how the public and the press treated the trial. The cast is perfect. Jack Lemmon, Ed Asner, Walter Matthau, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Bacon and Donald Sutherland are all familiar faces here effectively placed in roles that range from mere guest appearances to full fledged important supporting roles. The lesser known actors and actresses also excel, especially Jay O Sanders, Laurie Metcalf and Michael Rooker as Garrison's assistants. Gary Oldman as the doomed Lee Harvey Oswald once again proves his chameleon abilities as an actor and disappears completely in the role. Hard to believe that this is the same actor who was just as convincing as the Count in BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA and as Sid Vicious in SID AND NANCY, among others. But it is Kevin Costner's performance as Jim Garrison that always pulls the film together. He is very convincing. It's true that he doesn't look a thing like the real Jim Garrison. Fortunately, Costner wisely opted to use subtle characteristics of Garrison in creating his interpretation of the man. The aforementioned final remarks to the jury are not only believable for what is being said but also for Costner's convincing and heartfelt delivery. Technically, the film couldn't be better. The recreation of the assasination itself, is absolutely perfect, right down to the little girl that waved as she ran along the side of the President's limousine just before the shots were fired. The cinematography works well with the Oscar winning editing, to hold the audience in the palm of it's hand. The atmosphere of New Orleans is beautifully felt. John Williams music score is another example of how the composer captures the very mood of every film he scores. The beautiful trumpet fanfare he composed for JFK easily matches anything from JAWS, STAR WARS, SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, E.T.-THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, SCHINDLER'S LIST or the Indiana Jones movies. After many viewings of this film, I can honestly say that if I would choose to sit and watch it again today, I would still catch something I hadn't caught before. What better reason for owning a copy of JFK (The Director's Cut)? It must be viewed in it's widescreen edition. Watching in a flat or "full-screen" format doesn't do justice to the abundance of information it revels. And the dedication to the youth and their search for truth assures that it should be handed down from generation to generation so that perhaps one day we will know the whole truth.
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Summary: This movie spawned a search for the truth
Review: After years of extensive research and a college course examining the subject, I am almost convinced that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and that most of the conclusions made by Stone are wrong, especially his vindication of Jim Garrison's flawed and corrupt investigation. That being said, I truly do think this movie is something special. Firstly, it is extremely well directed and produced, the music is great and most of the acting is top-notch. More importantly, this movie affected the American mindset like almost no other. Almost immediately after its release, Congress passed the JFK Act and began looking into the classified files. When Stone wrote his screenplay, many files and studies which provided valuable information were still sealed and the movie's conclusions were affected by that. However, I recommend this movie to all because it truly does challenge people to question everything and to never be lulled into accepting the official party or government line. That Oswald most likely shot JFK does not mean that questions should not be asked. All the evidence must be evaluated as well as the true reasons for covering it up. Though I believe that Stone has grossly misrepresented certain facts, it is not the job of the movies to educate Americans about history. What this movie does is spur an enthusiasm in its audience to learn more about a particular event and how it affected us all. Such an appeal for thought and action is rare in this age of mindless sex and violence in Hollywood.
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