JFK is a problematic movie by an even more problematic filmmaker. It was controversial when it first came out back in 1991 -- and it's grown even more controversial in the wake of the recent rise of information warfare and dangerous conspiracy theories. I, however, am compelled to defend it because it has long been one of my favorite films, even when I knew it was far from a wholly accurate account of the Kennedy assassination.
I contend that it raises some interesting questions -- I think it's wise not to accept the Warren Commission's report wholesale and I believe it is more likely than not that there was some kind of conspiracy afoot in Kennedy's killing -- but it also undeniably takes substantial liberties, in part to support director Oliver Stone's fantasies of how and why the former president was killed.
I'll admit that my obsession with the film did send me down a rabbit hole years ago where I consumed numerous documentaries and books about the allegations that Kennedy's death was not explained accurately by the official account. Many of the oddball characters and events surrounding the assassination are depicted in vivid detail in the film and one of its incredible virtuoso qualities is the way in which Stone weaves so much information and so much rich characterization without sacrificing his visual flair (his use of archival footage mixed with his own is peerless).
Is much of JFK too on the nose? Absolutely. And Kevin Costner's lead performance, while sturdy and likable, is somewhat hampered by a propensity to deliver monologues that spell out the theme of the movie again and again. But it's clear that Kennedy's death had a profound effect on Stone (as it did on many members of his generation) and his emotional attachment to the former president powers through.
Of course Kennedy the ideal and Kennedy the man/politician are two very different things. And the saintly, secretly anti-war Trump that Stone conjures here is far more wish fulfillment than reality.
It's hard to totally divorce the film from reality since so many elements in the movie -- from David Ferrie to Clay Shaw to Jim Garrison and many more -- are very real and some of the strange events are not in dispute (such as Jack Ruby's cryptic 11th hour plea to Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren). But if it is viewed as theory, and albeit highly exaggerated theory at that (Stone has a tendency to perceive deaths as murders and retracted stories as the result of coercion), the film can be enjoyed on its own terms.
We are sometimes led to believe that JFK was universally popular throughout his presidency but that simply wasn't true. In fact, at the time of his death he was at a low ebb popularity-wise, especially around the time of his death. In the south, and particularly in the city of Dallas -- which had become a hotbed for extremist right wing activity -- he was despised and many people close to him believed his life would be in danger should he travel to Dallas that fateful fall. Their fears turned out not to be unfounded.
In the wake of the invasion of the Capitol, there has rightly been more of a spotlight on disturbing tendencies on the far right -- and JFK is instructive on this front. Even if the shadowy villains in the film are a melange of the real and imagine, they are not totally devoid of truth.
Ultimately, the movie is telling us to question authority and seek justice -- these are unabashedly good things. It also is clearly making a case for the tireless pursuit of the truth and even if the film we're watching is Oliver Stone's truth, I can't help but admire his dedication to codifying it.
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