Even though it is called JFK the movie doesn't not follow Kennedy, in fact it takes place three to five years after the assassination. It follows the District Attorney of New Orleans, Jim Garrison, as he and his crew investigate the Warren Report, interview witnesses, and interview other suspicious men around the New Orleans area that they believe had something to do with Oswald. They fear that a much larger conspiracy was part of the assassination than what the government had told the American people. They finally go to trial to try and prove that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in the shooting.
This is a very large movie and with that we have a very large cast. Kevin Costner plays Jim Garrison and gives us one of his best performances because emotions take over several times. Gary Oldman plays Lee Harvey Oswald who also gives us a fantastic character performance because he literally becomes Oswald. Joe Pesci plays David Ferrie as a man who is associated with the communist regime and who is scared for his life. Tommy Lee Jones plays Clay Shaw in a fantastic Oscar nominated performance, who is believed to be at the head of the conspiracy. Kevin Bacon plays Willie O'Keefe, a witness to Shaw, Oswald, and Ferrie. And Sissy Spacek plays Liz Garrison, Jim's wife. There is also Jay O. Sanders, Ed Asner, Jack Lemmon, Brian Doyle-Murray, Wayne Knight, Michael Rooker, Laurie Metcalf, Gary Grubbs, Walter Matthau, John Candy, Dale Dye, and Donald Sutherland in one of the best supporting cast in a film.
One thing that stands out the most about this film, after the cast, is the editing. The editing in this film has to one of the best ever. The film opens with a seven minute archival montage of footage describing what Kennedy had been through in his presidency before ending with a mix of archival and actual movie footage about a women screaming about how somebody is going to kill Kennedy. Then the assassination takes place. The editing doesn't end there as the film is full of flashbacks as very long monologues describe what is going on. Most of the flashback footage is in black and white. One scene about two hours into the movie, which is my favorite scene, features a man named Mr. X explaining to Garrison what the Government did before, during, and after the assassination. That scene is beautifully edited as is the last scene of the movie which is a moving, yet long, monologue by Costner.
Oliver Stone is the mind behind this beautifully made film, he directed it, which is probably his best job, and he also wrote it. The screenplay is absolutely phenomenal, the scenes were written perfectly and the dialogues were written perfectly. I've already mentioned the two monologues that are probably the best on film. Stone researched this film from top to bottom hiring several historians to read books, watch film, and study pictures on how the conspiracies came about. Using all those resources, true or not, he brought it all into one fantastic screenplay that should have won an Oscar. Stone also read about twenty books himself to contribute to the script. This is one of the best writing jobs I've ever seen.
Not only is this film written perfectly, it also looks beautiful. The cinematography is also among the best in film because of how they made certain parts look like archival footage in the flashbacks and how it looks in the recreation of the assassination. It was just beautifully mixed into this epic picture. One final thing that completes this film is the haunting, exciting, and moving score. John Williams did a wonderful job and gave this film the perfect score that gives it an eerie feeling and then turns into a moving score. This is the perfect score.
If you are into all the conspiracies about the JFK assassination and you haven't seen this film then you must see this film! Even if it is not true, it will make you think and sweat all at once and you will love it. At the same time this film is set in 1966-1968 and is based on information that they knew back then, so some of it might be wrong now, but that doesn't mean that you can't sit and enjoy this controversial drama. When you watch it, watch the Director's Cut, it is about twenty minutes longer and clocks in at 3 hours and 25 minutes, but trust me, it is worth it! This is a film that raised eyebrows in 1991 and still does today.
4/4 Stars
Enjoy the trailer below!
No comments:
Post a Comment