"JFK" is a masterpiece. It is definitely Oliver Stone's best film, and brings together an all-star cast that does more than delivers. We get to see Kevin Costner's best performance, and terrific work from Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Walter Matthau, Gary Oldman, Michael Rooker, and the rest of the cast. The best performance in the entire film comes from Donald Sutherland's brilliant work as X.
I commented in my opinion of the ten best films ever made that this and "Schindler's List" are the only two epic films that I know of that hold interest for every frame. In all fairness, movies like "Lawrence of Arabia," "Malcolm X," "The Godfather: Part II," and "Das Boot," great films that they are, they don't force you to keep your eyes focussed on them. Their intensity wavers, and as I say, only "Schindler's List" and "JFK" manage to be compelling for their 187 and 206 minutes respectively (director's cut of "JFK").
Now, it is impossible to comment on "JFK" without commenting on its history. Even before it came out, Oliver Stone had copped more flak for versions of the script that had been found (on one occasion, I agree with those critics - it would have been a mistake to have Kennedy's ghost appearing in the Garrisons' kitchen. A fantasy scene in the middle of realistic drama wouldn't really have worked). Let's be honest - the film makes up a lot of details, and changes facts. Check out http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/jfkmovie.htm for a list of the movie's lies.
But what is not really looked at is why Stone made these changes. He supplies Garrison with facts and evidence that was not known to him at the time. Why? Because this is not meant to be a complete account of the Garrison investigation, but a condemnation of the Warren Commission. Stone did not intend on limiting his focus to just the 1960s. He wanted to make a movie that spoke to people who weren't alive on November 22, 1963. As a result, a courtroom case full of holes would not have served his purpose.
This does not explain why so many things were made up, even if it tells us why Garrison was supplied with facts. I commented on "The Patriot," saying that the better the film, the more history it gets away with. "JFK" gets away with its version of history because it presents it so confidently that, unless you are an expert, you cannot tell what is true or not.
My reaction to "JFK" was to first read "On the Trail of the Assassins" by Jim Garrison, and I read about the events (without being a devoted conspiracy theorist)on a casual basis. It was on Stone's agenda to get people to do this (the dedication at the end), and it is possible that he used a version of history that was more interesting in order to get people to read about the case, if for no other reason than to be able to see that his work was false.
I've commented at great length on history. Let's go back to looking at the movie.
"JFK" assaults your mind, and causes you to think. What is remarkable about the directing and writing is that, although this is a political drama, heavy on facts and assumptions, it is never confusing. Many scenes are essentially the telling of facts to the audience. It sounds as though it should be boring. But it's delivered with such strength, and the characters are so interested in it, that so are we.
Moreover, for a movie that isn't all about special effects, the technical side of this film is amazing. The editing is the best you will ever see, which changes camera styles, lighting styles, and helps the film move at a frenetic pace. Those 206 minutes fly by.
Now, to argue that this film is a propaganda piece on par with "The Birth of a Nation" or "Triumph of the Will" is over the top. As I said, my reaction was to do my own reading, not to swallow what I was given. This film is one that opens your mind, and forces you to think. It is a remarkable achievement.
NOTE: No film can ever recreate history perfectly. It is necessary to collapse time, characters, to change people.... I've said a movie is not just a movie because of the effects it has, but a movie is trying to tell a story. This story required a version of history that was not wholly correct in order for its message to work. You can watch "JFK" as a great movie, or as a work of bad history. It's both.
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