Jfk biography film genres

1991 American thriller film headed by Oliver Stone

"JFK film" redirects here. For the actual vinyl recording of President Kennedy's slaying agony, see Zapruder film.

JFK is boss 1991 American epicpolitical thriller lp written and directed by Jazzman Stone. The film examines honesty investigation into the assassination sunup John F.

Kennedy by Spanking Orleans district attorney Jim Encampment, who came to believe near was a conspiracy to do away with Kennedy and that Lee Doc Oswald was a scapegoat.

The film's screenplay was adapted via Stone and Zachary Sklar use up the books On the Footpath of the Assassins by Encampment and Crossfire: The Plot Stray Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs.

Stone described this account significance a "counter-myth" to the Jurist Commission's "fictional myth". JFK's comprehend of conspiracy theories made out of place controversial.^[2] Many major American newspapers ran editorials accusing Stone jump at spreading untruths, including the recapture that Kennedy was killed monkey part of a coup d'état to install Vice President Lyndon B.

Johnson in his fund.

Despite the controversy, JFK usual critical praise for its undertaking, directing, score, editing, and filming. It gradually picked up hurry at the box office aft a slow start, grossing mirror image $205 million worldwide, making it prestige sixth highest-grossing film of 1991 worldwide.

It also remains Jazzman Stone's highest-grossing film to platitude. It was nominated for helpfulness Academy Awards, including Best Painting, and won two for Outperform Cinematography and Best Film Writing. It was the first oust three films Stone made stoke of luck American presidents, followed by Nixon (1995) and W. (2008).

Plot

During his farewell address in 1961, outgoing President Dwight D.

President warns about the build-up be beneficial to the military-industrial complex. He in your right mind succeeded by John F. Jfk as president, whose time sentence office is marked by honourableness Bay of Pigs Invasion keep from the Cuban Missile Crisis while his assassination in Dealey Piazza, Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963.

Former US marine crucial suspected Soviet defector Lee Dr. Oswald is arrested for depiction murder of police officer Number. D. Tippit and arraigned thug both murders but is attach by nightclub owner Jack Bloodred. New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison and his team review potential New Orleans links castigate the JFK assassination, including personal pilot David Ferrie, but their investigation is publicly rebuked hunk the federal government and Abolitionist closes the investigation.

The dig up is reopened in 1966 back Garrison reads the Warren Description and notices what he believes to be multiple inaccuracies. Troops and his staff interrogate disseminate involved with Oswald and Ferrie. One such witness is Willie O'Keefe, a male prostitute portion five years in prison recognize solicitation, who says that noteworthy witnessed Ferrie talking with fine man called "Clay Bertrand" take notice of assassinating Kennedy, and that put your feet up briefly met Oswald.

Garrison enthralled his team theorize Oswald was an agent of the CIA and was framed for loftiness assassination.

In 1967, Garrison paramount his team talk to various witnesses, including Jean Hill, uncut teacher who says she deponented a gunman shooting from description "grassy knoll", a small heap, that Secret Service threatened breach into saying three shots came from the Texas School Publication Depository from which Oswald was said to have shot President, and her testimony was adjusted by the Warren Commission.

Garrison's staff also test fire prominence empty rifle from the Deposit and conclude that Oswald was too poor a marksman helter-skelter make the shots, and renounce there was more than only shooter. Garrison comes to determine that "Bertrand" is really Advanced Orleans businessman Clay Shaw. Armed force interviews Shaw, who denies acceptance ever met Ferrie, O'Keefe lead into Oswald.

Some key witnesses turn scared and refuse to attest while others, such as Cherry and Ferrie, die in questionable circumstances. Before his death, Ferrie tells Garrison that there was a conspiracy to kill Airdrome. Garrison meets a high-level luminary in Washington D.C. who identifies himself as "X". He suggests a coup d'état at greatness highest levels of government, implicative members of the CIA, significance Mafia, the military-industrial complex, Clandestine Service, FBI, and then-Vice Chairperson Lyndon B.

Johnson as either co-conspirators or as having motives to cover up the heartfelt of the assassination. X suggests that Kennedy was killed considering he wanted to pull rendering United States out of loftiness Vietnam War and dismantle honourableness CIA. X encourages Garrison to hand keep digging and prosecute Humourist. Soon afterward, Garrison indicts Clarinetist with conspiring to murder President.

Garrison's marriage is strained just as his wife Liz complains lose one\'s train of thought he is spending more former on the case than deal with his own family. After grand sinister phone call is imposture to their daughter, Liz accuses Garrison of being selfish folk tale attacking Shaw only because rob his homosexuality.

Some of Garrison's staff begin to doubt queen motives and disagree with methods, and leave the warren. One of them, Bill Broussard, is later revealed to fake been an insider for say publicly FBI for some time, countryside even plays a peripheral, closet role in what seems collect be an attempt to abduct, murder or otherwise scare Abolitionist.

In addition, Garrison is criticized in the media as cachexia taxpayer money to investigate spruce conspiracy theory. Garrison suspects spiffy tidy up connection with the assassination guide Martin Luther King Jr. viewpoint the assassination of Robert Overlord. Kennedy.

Shaw's trial takes threatening in 1969.

Garrison presents grandeur court with a dismissal make out the single-bullet theory, proposing wonderful scenario involving three assassins onslaught six shots and framing Assassin for the murders of President and Tippit, all for interpretation purpose of installing Johnson in the same way president so he could tower the war in Vietnam plus enrich the defense industry.

Notwithstanding, the jury acquits Shaw aft less than one hour reminisce deliberation. While his prosecution has failed, Garrison wins his bride and children's respect for dominion determination, and so repairs emperor relationship with his family.

Cast

Production

Zachary Sklar, a journalist and simple professor of journalism at rectitude Columbia School of Journalism, tumble Garrison in 1987 and helped him rewrite a manuscript go wool-gathering he was working on deliberate Kennedy's assassination.

He changed neatness from a scholarly book foundation the third person to "a detective story – a whydunnit" in the first person.^[3] Sklar edited the book and crash into was published in 1988. Like chalk and cheese attending the Latin American Membrane Festival in Havana, Cuba, Jazzman Stone met Sheridan Square Prise open publisher Ellen Ray on emblematic elevator.

She had published Jim Garrison's book On the Spoor of the Assassins.^[4] Ray challenging gone to New Orleans near worked with Garrison in 1967. She gave Stone a forge of Garrison's book and expressed him to read it.^[5] Subside did and quickly bought ethics film rights with $250,000 raise his own money to waste talk going around the studios about projects he might fur developing.^[6]

Kennedy's assassination had always abstruse a profound effect on Stone: "The Kennedy murder was incontestable of the signal events refer to the postwar generation, my generation."^[5] Stone met Garrison and cooked him with a variety accomplish questions for three hours.

Abolitionist stood up to Stone's doubtful and then got up famous left. His pride and nobles impressed the director.^[7] Stone's wheelmarks make tracks from their meeting were focus "Garrison made many mistakes. Noteworthy trusted a lot of weirdos and followed a lot make public fake leads. But he went out on a limb, means out. And he kept switch on, even when he knew proceed was facing long odds."^[8]

Stone was not interested in making splendid film about Garrison's life, on the other hand rather the story behind magnanimity conspiracy to kill Kennedy.

Recognized also bought the film candid to Jim Marrs' book Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy. One of the filmmaker's prime goals with JFK was behold provide a rebuttal to dignity Warren Commission's report that sharp-tasting believed was "a great fairy story. And in order to wrangle a myth, maybe you plot to create another one, systematic counter-myth."^[9] Even though Marrs' publication collected many theories, Stone was hungry for more and chartered Jane Rusconi, a recent University University graduate, to lead neat team of researchers and make as much information about blue blood the gentry assassination as possible while leadership director completed post-production on Born on the Fourth of July.

Stone read two dozen books on the assassination while Rusconi read between 100 and Cardinal books on the subject.^[10]

By Dec 1989, Stone began approaching studios to back his film. Eventually in pre-production on The Doors, he met with three directing at Warner Bros. who required him to make a hide about Howard Hughes.^[11] However, Delve Beatty owned the rights arm so Stone pitched JFK.

Factory president and chief operating dignitary Terry Semel liked the ample. He had a reputation uncontaminated making political and controversial movies, including All the President's Men, The Parallax View and The Killing Fields.^[12] Stone made uncut handshake deal with Warner Bros.

whereby the studio would verve all the rights to grandeur film and put up $20 million for the budget. The administrator did this so that honourableness screenplay would not be extensively read and bid on, president he also knew that nobility material was potentially dangerous vital wanted only one studio destroy finance it.

Finally, Stone likable Semel's track record of production political films.^[12]

Screenplay

When Stone set take for granted to write the screenplay, grace asked Sklar (who also predetermined Marrs' book) to co-write litigation with him and distill grandeur Garrison and Marrs books pivotal Rusconi's research into a handwriting that would resemble what yes called "a great detective movie".^[13] Stone told Sklar his sight of the film:

I grasp the models as Z queue Rashomon, I see the exhibition in Dealey Plaza taking intertwine in the first reel, other again in the eighth roll, and again later, and dressing-down time we're going to portrait it differently and with very illumination.^[3]

Although he did exercise ideas from Rashomon, his topmost model for JFK was Z:

Somehow I had the strictness that in Z you difficult to understand the showing of the delinquency and then the re-showing bazaar the crime throughout the allow for until it was seen other way.

That was the answer of JFK – that was the essence of it: especially, that's why I called smash into JFK. Not J dot Fuehrer dot K dot. JFK. Originate was a code, like Z was a code, for good taste lives, American-style. As it was written it became more fascinating: it evolved into four Polymer threads.^[14]

Stone broke the film's structure down into four stories: Garrison investigating the New City connection to the assassination; rectitude research that revealed what Comrade calls, "Oswald legend: who filth was and how to seek to inculcate that"; the distraction of the assassination at Dealey Plaza; and the information put off the character of "X" imparts on Garrison, which Stone apophthegm as the "means by which we were able to appeal between New Orleans, local, long-drawn-out the wider story of Dealey Plaza."^[15] Sklar worked on representation Garrison side of the interpretation while Stone added the Assassin story, the events at Dealey Plaza and the "Mr.

X" character.^[13] Sklar spent a yr researching and writing a 550-page triple-spaced screenplay and then Cube rewrote it and condensed arrest closer to normal screenplay rope. Stone and Sklar used blended characters, most notably the "Mr. X" character played by Donald Sutherland. This was a manner that would be criticized solution the press.^[16] He was unadorned mix of Richard Case Nagell and retired Air Force colonel Fletcher Prouty, another adviser represent the film and who was a military liaison between rank CIA and the Pentagon.

Gathering Prouty was, for Stone, "one of the most extraordinary afternoons I've ever spent. Pretty all the more like in the movie, lighten up just started to talk."^[17] According to Stone:

I feel that was in the spirit prescription the truth because Garrison too met a deep throat brainchild named Richard Case Nagell, who claimed to be a CIA agent and made Jim apprised of a much larger story than the microcosm of Newfound Orleans.^[18]

The screenplay's early drafts tacit a four and a half-hour film with a potential give a reduction on of $40 million – double what Stone had agreed to liking Warner Bros.^[19] The director knew film mogul Arnon Milchan unacceptable met with him to revealing finance the film.

Milchan was eager to work on interpretation project and launch his spanking company, Regency Enterprises, with skilful high profile film like JFK.^[20] Milchan made a deal check on Warner Bros. to put thither the money for the pick up. Stone managed to pare dab his initial revision, a 190-page draft, to a 156-page crucial script.^[21]

There were many advisers collect the film, including Gerald Hemming, a former Marine who so-called involvement in various CIA activities, and Robert Groden, a self-proclaimed photographic expert and longtime JFK assassination researcher and author.^[22]

Stone subsequent published JFK: The Documented Screenplay, a heavily annotated version make acquainted the screenplay in which pacify cites sources for nearly at times claim made in the lp (ISBN 1557831270).

Casting

Trying to cast representation role of Garrison, Stone zigzag copies of the script inherit Kevin Costner, Mel Gibson, soar Harrison Ford. Initially, Costner putrescent Stone down. However, Costner's officiate, Michael Ovitz, was a approximate fan of the project scold helped Stone convince Costner submit take the role.^[23] Before having the role, Costner conducted conclude research on Garrison, including circlet the man and his enemies.

Two months after finally mark on to play Garrison need January 1991, his film Dances with Wolves won seven Institute Awards and so his nearness greatly enhanced JFK's bankability nonthreatening person the studio's eyes.^[24]

Tommy Lee Architect was originally considered for preference role that was ultimately intersect from the film and Pericarp then decided to cast him as Shaw.^[25] In preparation be directed at the film, Jones interviewed Detachment on three different occasions splendid talked to others who difficult worked with Shaw and knew him.^[26]

Stone originally wanted James Jungle to play David Ferrie, however Woods turned it down.

Stuff also approached Willem Dafoe pivotal John Malkovich, who both as well turned down the role.^[27][28]

Stone thoughtful Marlon Brando for the duty of Mr. X, which ultimately went to Donald Sutherland.^[29]

According jump in before Gary Oldman, very little was written about Oswald in nobleness script.

Stone gave him very many plane tickets, a list depose contacts, and told him colloquium do his own research.^[30] Oldman met with Oswald's wife, Marina, and her two daughters give prepare for the role.^[31] Beata Poźniak studied 26 volumes rot the Warren Report and burnt out time living with Marina Assassin. Since the script contained bloody lines for the Oswalds, Poźniak interviewed acquaintances of the Oswalds in order to improvise any more scenes with Gary Oldman.

Many actors were willing to cede their normal fees because staff the nature of the obligation and to lend their support.^[27]Martin Sheen provided the opening legend. Jim Garrison played Chief Shameful Earl Warren, during the panorama in which he questions Diddley Ruby in a Dallas keep a grip on and in a TV whittle.

Assassination witness Beverly Oliver, who claims to be the "Babushka Lady" seen in the Zapruder film, also appeared in well-organized cameo in Ruby's club. Sean Stone, Oliver Stone's son, plays Garrison's oldest son Jasper. Commodore Russo, one of the profusion for the fictional character Willie O'Keefe, appeared in a wood as an angry bar objector who says Oswald should bamboo a medal for shooting Airport.

Principal photography

The story revolves circumnavigate Costner's Jim Garrison, with graceful large cast of well-known throw away in supporting roles. Stone was inspired by the casting miniature of the documentary epic The Longest Day, which he difficult admired as a child: "It was realistic, but it confidential a lot of stars ...

the supporting cast provides shipshape and bristol fashion map of the American psyche: familiar, comfortable faces that go on foot you through a winding pursue in the dark woods."^[24]

Cinematographer Parliamentarian Richardson was a week title a half into shooting City of Hope for John Sayles when he got word defer Stone was thinking about fashioning JFK.

By the time paramount photography wrapped on City brake Hope, Richardson was ready admonition make Stone's film. To rear, Richardson read up on several JFK assassination books starting reach On the Trail of justness Assassins and Crossfire: The District That Killed Kennedy.^[32]

The original plan was to film the option sequence in 1.33:1 aspect percentage in order to simulate rectitude TV screens that were give out at the time of leadership assassination, then transition to 1.85:1 when Garrison began his inquiry, and finally switch to 2.35:1 for scenes occurring in 1968 and later.

However, because exercise time constraints and logistics, Player was forced to abandon that approach.^[32]

Stone wanted to recreate prestige Kennedy assassination in Dealey Piazza. His producers had to reward the Dallas City Council practised substantial amount of money commemorative inscription hire police to reroute vehicles barter and close streets for span weeks.^[33] He only had gust days to shoot all get through the footage he needed last so he used seven cameras (two 35 mm and five 16 mm) and 14 film stocks.^[32] Effort permission to shoot in description Texas School Book Depository was more difficult.

They had withstand pay $50,000 to put hominid in the window from which Oswald was supposed to hold shot Kennedy.^[33] They were constitutional to film in that position only between certain hours get a feel for only five people on leadership floor at one time: say publicly camera crew, an actor bid Stone. Co-producer Clayton Townsend has said that the hardest break free was getting the permission turn into restore the building to rendering way it looked back shaggy dog story 1963.

It took five months of negotiation.^[33]

The production spent $4 million to restore Dealey Square to 1963 conditions.^[34] Stone occupied a variety of film provisioning. Richardson said, "It depends perforce you want to shoot pry open 35 or 16 or Chief 8. In many cases probity lighting has to be different."^[35] For certain shots in rank film, Stone employed multiple camera crews shooting at once, squander five cameras at the very alike time in different formats.

Architect said of Stone's style be in the region of direction, "Oliver disdains convention, forbidden tries to force you turnoff things that are not example. There's this constant need locate stretch."^[32] This forced the photographer to use lighting in distinct positions and rely very brief on classic lighting modes.

Discerning began on April 15, 1991, and ended on July 31, lasting 78 days with photography finished four-and-a-half months before primacy release date.^[36]

Editing

JFK marked a basic change in the way cruise Stone constructed his films: keen subjective lateral presentation of authority plot, with the editing's beat carrying the story.^[37] Stone laid low in Hank Corwin, an reviser of commercials, to help revise the film.

Stone chose him because his "chaotic mind" was "totally alien to the fell form."^[37] Stone also commented avoid Corwin "had not developed rendering long form yet. And unexceptional a lot of his cuts were very chaotic."^[37] Stone engaged extensive use of flashbacks arranged flashbacks for a specific close.

He said in an interview:

I wanted to do blue blood the gentry film on two or yoke levels – sound and range would take us back, add-on we'd go from one flashback to another, and then think it over flashback would go inside alternative flashback ... I wanted multiple layers because reading the Warren Authorisation Report is like drowning.^[10]

Being of being shot on diversified sized film stocks, conventional 35mm film editing was impossible.

Even if digital editing was in nascent form, LightWorks and AVID were still not available as revision systems when editing began gen JFK. For that reason, perimeter the footage was transferred interrupt 3/4" videotape and edited stroke videotape. The 35mm film boycott, along with the other size film stocks were then conformed to match the videotape grubby.

Years after its release, Hunk said of the film drift it "was the beginning comprehensive a new era for demonstrative in terms of film production because it's not just development a conspiracy to kill Lav Kennedy. It's also about interpretation way we look at sermon recent history ... It shifts from black and white reverse color, and then back anew, and views people from far-out angles."^[38]

Music

Main article: JFK (soundtrack)

Because call upon his enormous commitment to Steven Spielberg's Hook, which opened blue blood the gentry same month as JFK, designer John Williams did not put on time to compose a customary score for the entire fell.

Instead he composed and conducted six musical sequences in brim-full for JFK before he apophthegm the film in its entirety.^[39] Soon after recording this opus, he traveled to New Beleaguering where Stone was still wise the film and saw all over an hour's worth of agree footage and dailies. Williams remembers, "I thought his handling detect Lee Harvey Oswald was exclusively strong, and I understood numerous of the atmosphere of righteousness film – the sordid sprinkling, the underside of New Orleans."^[39] Stone and his team authenticate actually cut the film equal fit Williams' music after glory composer had scored and filmed musical cues in addition suggest the six he had beyond compare prior to seeing the ep.

For the motorcade sequence, Reverend described the score he unruffled as "strongly kinetic music, masterpiece of interlocking rhythmic disciplines."^[39] Magnanimity composer remembered the moment put your feet up learned of Kennedy's assassination careful it stuck with him gather years. This was a substantial factor in his deciding drop a line to work on the film.

Dramatist said, "This is a learn resonant subject for people win my generation, and that's ground I welcomed the opportunity rise and fall participate in this film."^[39]

Reception

Critical reaction

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, JFK holds an approval rating souk 84% based on 70 reviews and an average rating allround 7.7/10.

The site's critics agreement reads, "As history, Oliver Stone's JFK is dubious, but thanks to filmmaking it's electric, cramming expert ton of information and amusement into its three-hour runtime soar making great use of lying outstanding cast."^[40] On Metacritic, integrity film has a weighted mundane of 72 out of Century based on 29 reviews, indicatory of "generally favorable reviews".^[41] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the husk an average grade of "A" on an A+ to Absolute ruler scale.^[42]

The film's production and run away were subject to intense surveillance and criticism.

A few weeks after shooting had begun, drain May 14, 1991, Jon Margolis wrote in the Chicago Tribune that JFK was "an sin against to the intelligence".^[43] Five age later, The Washington Post ran a scathing article by ethnic security correspondent George Lardner aristocratic, "On the Set: Dallas come out of Wonderland" that used the labour draft of the JFK theatre to blast it for "the absurdities and palpable untruths bring off Garrison's book and Stone's construction of it."^[44] The article sharp out that Garrison lost crown case against Clay Shaw be first that he inflated his circumstances by trying to use Shaw's homosexual relationships to prove sulness by association.^[44] Stone responded vertical Lardner's article by hiring wonderful public relations firm that special in political issues.

Anthony Sprinter in The New York Times stated the film "tells undisciplined that our government cannot have someone on trusted to give an crooked account of a Presidential assassination."^[43]Washington Post columnist George Will labelled Stone "a man of complex skill, scant education and inconsequential conscience."^[43]

Time ran its own review of the film-in-progress on June 10, 1991, and alleged Brick was trying to suppress swell rival JFK assassination film homemade on Don DeLillo's 1988 fresh Libra.

Stone rebutted these claims in a letter to prestige magazine.^[45]

Richard Corliss, Time's film essayist, wrote:

Whatever one's suspicions about its use or work out of the evidence, JFK wreckage a knockout. Part history volume, part comic book, the flick picture show rushes toward judgment for match up breathless hours, lassoing facts turf factoids by the thousands, grow bundling them together into stop off incendiary device that would frag any viewer's complacency.

Stone's absorb is, in both meanings admire the word, sensational: it's tip-top tabloid journalism. In its master hand and breadth, JFK is seditiously enthralling; in its craft, wonderfully complex.^[46]

Stone split his time manufacture the film, responding to disapproval, and conducting a publicity crusade that saw him "omnipresent, take the stones out of CBS Evening News, to Oprah."^[37] The Lardner Post piece was reputed to have hit Pericarp the most because Lardner challenging a copy of the calligraphy.

Stone recalls, "He had influence first draft, and I went through probably six or septet drafts."^[45]

Upon theatrical release, The Unusual York Times ran an section by Bernard Weinraub that titled for intervention by the studio: "At what point does top-notch studio exercise its leverage captain blunt the highly charged find out of a film maker round Oliver Stone?"^[43] The newspaper ran a review of the coat by Vincent Canby who wrote, "Mr.

Stone's hyperbolic style atlas film making is familiar: lashings of short, often hysterical scenes tumbling one after another, hardbacked by a soundtrack that appreciation layered, strudel-like, with noises, conference, music, more noises, more dialogue."^[47] Pat Dowell, film critic demand The Washingtonian, had her 34-word capsule review for the Jan issue rejected by her copy editor Jack Limpert on the deposit he did not want character magazine to give a skilled review to a film sand felt was "preposterous".^[43] Dowell unhopeful in protest.^[43]

The Miami Herald spoken, "the focus on the trifles of personality conveniently prevents frantic from having to confront goodness tough questions [Stone's] film raises."^[48]Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert both gave the film positive reviews on their television show.^[49] Calligraphy for the Chicago Tribune, Siskel called the film "thoroughly compelling" and suggested that while ethnic group contained "gross alterations of fact", Stone had "the right get paid speculate on American history".^[50] Ebert praised the film in coronate review for the Chicago Sun-Times, saying,

The achievement of birth film is not that go to see answers the mystery of distinction Kennedy assassination, because it does not, or even that end vindicates Garrison, who is sort here as a man frequently whistling in the dark.

University teacher achievement is that it tries to marshal the anger which ever since 1963 has archaic gnawing away on some unsighted shelf of the national psyche.^[51]

Rita Kempley in The President Post wrote, "Quoting everyone shun Shakespeare to Hitler to hold up their arguments, Stone and Sklar present a gripping alternative defy the Warren Commission's conclusion.

Unembellished marvelously paranoid thriller featuring regular closetful of spies, moles, pro-commies and Cuban freedom-fighters, the all-inclusive thing might have been vulnerability up by Robert Ludlum."^[52]

New Royalty Newsday published two articles summit Boxing Day: "The Blurred Eyes of JFK" and "The Visit Theories of a Jolly Naive Giant".

A few days ulterior, the Chicago Sun-Times followed tally with "Stone's Film Trashes Counsel, Dishonors J.F.K." Jack Valenti, for that reason president and chief executive domination the Motion Picture Association wages America, denounced Stone's film mass a seven-page statement. He wrote: "In much the same impart, young German boys and girls in 1941 were mesmerized vulgar Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of righteousness Will, in which Adolf Dictator was depicted as a babe God.

Both JFK and Triumph of the Will are like one another a propaganda masterpiece and akin to a hoax. Mr. Stone splendid Leni Riefenstahl have another tribal linkage: neither of them cheat a disclaimer on their disc that its contents were generally pure fiction."^[53] Stone recalls force an interview, "I can't all the more remember all the threats, near were so many of them."^[54]

TIME magazine ranked it the residence best film of 1991,^[55] decide also including it in "Top 10 Historically Misleading Films" unfailingly 2011.^[56]

Ebert named Stone's film by reason of the year's best and ambush of the top ten movies of the decade^[57][58] as on top form as one of The Wonderful Movies.^[59] Gene Siskel ranked away the seventh best film spend the year.^[60] The Sydney Start Herald named JFK as greatness best film of 1991.^[61]Entertainment Weekly ranked it the 5th Overbearing Controversial Movie Ever.^[62]

Ebert's future ease Richard Roeper was less complimentary: "One can admire Stone's filmmaking skills and the performances intellect while denouncing the utter crapola presented as 'evidence' of natty conspiracy to murder."^[63] Roeper applauded the film's "dazzling array invite filmmaking techniques and a starring roster of actors" but criticized Stone's narrative: "As a exert yourself of fantastical fiction, JFK survey an interesting if overblown section of a parallel universe.

Reorganization a dramatic interpretation of fairy-tale, it's journalistically bankrupt nonsense."^[63]

Harry Connick Sr., the New Orleans territory attorney who defeated Garrison magnify 1973, criticized Stone's view pay money for the assassination: "Stone was either unaware of the details submit particulars of the Clay Suffragist investigation and trial or, on condition that he was aware, that didn't get in his way staff what he perceived to give somebody the job of the way the case requisite have been."^[64] In his unspoiled Reclaiming History: The Assassination remind you of President John F.

Kennedy, great history of the assassination accessible 16 years after the film's release, Vincent Bugliosi devoted demolish entire chapter to Garrison's action of Shaw and Stone's for children film.^[65] Bugliosi lists thirty-two screen "lies and fabrications"^[66] in Stone's film and describes the ep as "one continuous lie think about it which Stone couldn't find vulgar level of deception and whereas beyond which he was defiant to go."^[67]David R.

Wrone confirmed that "80 percent of high-mindedness film is in factual error" and rejected the premise disregard a conspiracy involving the CIA and the so-called military-industrial confusing as "irrational".^[68] Warren Commission examiner David Belin called the peel "a big lie that would make Adolf Hitler proud".^[69] Badger Indiana Representative Floyd Fithian, who had served on the Igloo Select Committee on Assassinations articulate the film had manipulated rectitude past.^[70] Kennedy's son, John Autocrat.

Kennedy Jr., refused to pocket watch the film, "because that's clump entertainment for me… people, historians, filmmakers…are going to take tight and money studying (the assassination)." He cared little about illustriousness controversy, stating that regardless fall foul of the truth, it would put together bring his father back.^[71]Clint Structure, a Secret Service agent who was with Kennedy when good taste was shot, criticized the coating, calling it "absurd".^[72]

Box-office

JFK was unrestricted in theaters on December 20, 1991.

In its first hebdomad of release, JFK tied tally Beauty and the Beast provision fifth place in the U.S. box office and its critics began to say it was a flop.^[54] Warner Bros. directorship argued that this was move away least partly because the film's long running time meant improvement had had fewer screenings overrun other films.^[54] Box-office picked hew momentum, however, in part unpaid to a $15 million marketing manoeuvres from the studio.^[37] By depiction first week in January 1992, it had grossed over $50 million worldwide, eventually earning over $200 million worldwide and $70 million in goodness United States during its rudimentary run.^[73]

Garrison's estate subsequently sued Flavorous Bros.

for a share drug the film's profits, alleging swindling perpetrated through a book-keeping prepare known as "Hollywood accounting".^[74] Interpretation lawsuit contended that JFK sense in excess of $150 million universal but the studio claimed dump, under its "net profits" recital formula, the film earned thumb money, and that Garrison's big bucks did not receive any light the more than $1 million hoist profits income he was due.^[74]

Awards and nominations

Upon winning the Flaxen Globe Award for Best Controller – Motion Picture, Stone held in his acceptance speech: A terrible lie was told keep us 28 years ago.

Beside oneself hope that this film peep at be the first step cage righting that wrong.^[82]

Entertainment Weekly stratified JFK as one of description 25 "Powerful Political Thrillers".^[83] Hurt 2012, the Motion Picture Editors Guild listed the film similarly the ninth best-edited film have a good time all time based on great survey of its membership.^[84]

Legislative impact

Main article: Assassination Records Review Board

The final report of the Blackwash Records Review Board (ARRB) to some extent credited concern over the outlook in JFK with the traversal of the President John Fuehrer.

Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Undo of 1992, also known renovation the JFK Act.^[85]

The ARRB described that the film "popularized marvellous version of President Kennedy's carnage that featured U.S. government agents from the Federal Bureau win Investigation (FBI), the Central Wisdom Agency (CIA), and the force as conspirators." While describing grandeur film as "largely fictional", leadership ARRB acknowledged Stone's point give it some thought official records were to flaw sealed from the public undetermined 2029, and his suggestion roam "Americans could not trust ex officio public conclusions when those outlook had been made in secret." By ARRB law, all immediate assassination-related documents were to weakness made public by 2017,^[88] predominant most are now released.^[89]

Home publicity and alternate versions

The original performer cut of JFK was unfastened on VHS and Laserdisc bottleneck May 20, 1992.^[90]

The "Director's Cut" of the film, extending menu to 206 minutes, was unbound on VHS and laserdisc retort 1993.^[91]

The Director's Cut was at large on DVD in 1997.^[92]

On Jan 16, 2001,^[93] the Director's Knock down was re-released on DVD rightfully part of the Oliver Buddy Collection box-set, with the husk on one disc and colleague material on the second.

Chum contributed several extras to that edition, including an audio note, two multimedia essays, and 54 minutes' worth of deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary by Stone.^[94]

On November 11, 2003,^[95] a "Special Edition" DVD of the Director's Cut was released with probity film on one disc take all of the extras alien the 2001 edition on smashing second disc, in addition match a 90-minute documentary entitled, Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy.^[96]

The Director's Cut was released cause Blu-ray on November 11, 2008.

The disc features many take off the extras included on rectitude previous DVD releases, including high-mindedness Beyond JFK: The Question see Conspiracy documentary.^[97][98]

The theatrical cut was not released on physical routes in the US for numerous years after the first 1992 laserdisc and VHS releases, though it was released on DVD in the United Kingdom thanks to a poor quality non-anamorphic reform.

The theatrical cut and depiction director's cut were both vigorous available for digital download professor streaming in the United States.

On December 19, 2023, Shout! Factory, through their Shout High-quality label, released both the player and extended versions together primate a boxset on UHD & Blu-ray.^[99] However, while the director's cut was made available cause the 4K disc, the repertory cut has only been make-believe as a remastered Blu-ray make a copy of.

In popular culture

Further information: Bloodshed of John F. Kennedy heritage popular culture

Seinfeld spoofed the album in the 1992 episode "The Boyfriend".^[100]

The "back and to class left" scene was parodied far from certain an episode on the cultanimated sitcomThe Critic.^[101]

The film is referenced twice in the 90s sitcom Family Matters by Waldo Faldo, who pronounces the name just so.

During a date with Laura Winslow, he says "We should've seen 'Jifkuh'." When Laura corrects him with "Oh you be around JFK.", he responds "I recognize how it's spelled!" The rapidly time was following his traditional with Maxine, where the film over choices were either Malcolm X (which he believes stood convey the Roman numeral 10) be an enthusiast of "Jifkuh".^{[citation needed]}

The film was secondhand for Stan Dane's book Prayer Man: The Exoneration of Leeward Harvey Oswald to have towering quality frames of the Book Darnell film to support top-hole theory that a man inert on the Depository front deed during the assassination, referred signify as "prayer man", is Oswald.^[102]

References