Review of JFK (1991) by Brian B — 15 Dec 2008

An amazingly constructed film. Oliver Stone's wholly absorbing procedural drama is fascinating in the extreme. It is astonishing how he composes a ridiculous amount of facts, ideas, theories, and evidence into such a smooth and engrossing narrative.

The cinematography and editing is brilliant (the film won Oscars for both). The cast is an embarrassment of acting riches, with Kevin Costner turning in a convincing and empathetic performance. His character's closing argument is so beautifully acted (look for the moment when he looks into the camera) and so passionately written and delivered it packs an emotional wallop that will stay with you for days.

Whether or not the information presented here is entirely factual is beside the point. Stone's genius here is capturing the national mood and an inherent emotional truth concerning the assassination of JFK: we couldn't possibly believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

We know there is a greater truth out there, and we the American people deserve to know the truth. We owe it to ourselves to question and probe until we get it. A great American classic.