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From Amazon.co.uk
Not a John F Kennedy biopic, but a film of New Orleans' attorney Jim Garrison's investigation into the President's assassination, JFK is that rarest of things, a modern Hollywood drama which credits the audience with serious intelligence and ultimately proves itself a great film. Oliver Stone's film has the archetypal story, visual scale and substance to match; not just a gripping real-life conspiracy thriller, but a fable for the fall of the American dream (a theme further explored by the director in Nixon and Any Given Sunday). JFK doesn't reveal exactly what happened in Dallas on 22 November 1963--those who knew generally took their secrets to the grave--but marshals a vast wealth of facts and plausible theories, trusting the audience to draw its own conclusions. Following less than a year after Dances With Wolves (1990), these two epics mark the high point of Kevin Costner's career and the vast supporting cast here, including Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland, is superb. Quite simply the best American political film ever made. --Gary S Dalkin
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
JFK, as if you didn't already know, concerns the story of real-life Louisana District Attorney Jim Garrison and his (ultimately unsuccessful) prosecution of Clay Shaw for conspiring in the murder of President John F. Kennedy.
Through an audacious technique of sound and image editing, combining different film stocks and overlapping dialogue, JFK is a powerful piece of cinema that deserves a place in everyone's collection. It is to director Oliver Stone's credit that he keeps the viewer continually engaged with the film through it's three hours and seventeen minutes running length.
The film is not only a significant technical achievement but supremely enjoyable on a purely cinematic level. The cast is uniformly excellent - a special nod of the head to Gary Oldman as Lee Harvey Oswald - and Robert Richardson's cinematography is, as always, gorgeous.
Due to the inflammatory subject matter (a U.S. covert action program designed to assassinate foreign leaders gets blown-back and turned on President Kennedy), this film and those associated with it have often come in for a lot of highly charged invective. Therefore, some background reading is highly recommended; if you only read one book on the Kennedy assassination, make it Oxford historian Anthony Summers' "Kennedy Conspiracy" for an in-depth and reasoned analysis.
In short, this is Oliver Stone's "J'accuse!" -not only one of the best films ever made but also one of the most important.
Through an audacious technique of sound and image editing, combining different film stocks and overlapping dialogue, JFK is a powerful piece of cinema that deserves a place in everyone's collection. It is to director Oliver Stone's credit that he keeps the viewer continually engaged with the film through it's three hours and seventeen minutes running length.
The film is not only a significant technical achievement but supremely enjoyable on a purely cinematic level. The cast is uniformly excellent - a special nod of the head to Gary Oldman as Lee Harvey Oswald - and Robert Richardson's cinematography is, as always, gorgeous.
Due to the inflammatory subject matter (a U.S. covert action program designed to assassinate foreign leaders gets blown-back and turned on President Kennedy), this film and those associated with it have often come in for a lot of highly charged invective. Therefore, some background reading is highly recommended; if you only read one book on the Kennedy assassination, make it Oxford historian Anthony Summers' "Kennedy Conspiracy" for an in-depth and reasoned analysis.
In short, this is Oliver Stone's "J'accuse!" -not only one of the best films ever made but also one of the most important.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By A. Drummond
Format:DVD
This is one fantastically made film, Stone mixes his own fictional footage with genuine historical footage until you don't know which one is the truth, this powerful movie bombards you with information and will not stop. Throughout the film, Garrison (Costner) and his team put foreward every conspiracy theory known to man (aside from Elvis at the Grassy-Knoll) before deciding on their prefered option and hammering it home in a riveting final court-room scene.
I for one don't believe that Lyndon Johnson was waiting for a call from Clay Shaw saying "Kennedy's been killed and I want my money". Oliver Stone is not a historian and this is not history, as Stone said, this film is merely a counter-myth to the myth that is the Warren Report and that is what it does. One only has to watch the trial scene to realise that the Warren Report was fiction and although Garrison's proposition of a government-planned conspiracy is a little off, it does make you think and that is what a good film should do.
The supporting cast is excellent with Tommy-Lee Jones earning a Best Supporting-Actor Oscar, the music is superb and powerfully atmospheric.
A good buy for anyone who likes to think and an ideal subject for discussion
I for one don't believe that Lyndon Johnson was waiting for a call from Clay Shaw saying "Kennedy's been killed and I want my money". Oliver Stone is not a historian and this is not history, as Stone said, this film is merely a counter-myth to the myth that is the Warren Report and that is what it does. One only has to watch the trial scene to realise that the Warren Report was fiction and although Garrison's proposition of a government-planned conspiracy is a little off, it does make you think and that is what a good film should do.
The supporting cast is excellent with Tommy-Lee Jones earning a Best Supporting-Actor Oscar, the music is superb and powerfully atmospheric.
A good buy for anyone who likes to think and an ideal subject for discussion
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Scene after scene which lives in the memory for years after watching the film, great performances from Tommy Lee JOnes and Joe Peci as expected but also so many others, John Candy's part, Kevin Bacons charachter, the scene with Donald Sutherland in the park which adds such clout to the main charachters whole conspirosy argument. 3 hours of film and I promise you at the end you still want more !!!
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4.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dramatic piece of history relived
For those of us around at the time this day in November 1963 will probably always be with us. This film captures not only the event with some actual footage of the time, but also... Read more
Published 19 days ago by Boyz
5.0 out of 5 stars
great movie
Fantastic price and service and it arrived very quick. The good lady had never seen this film before, great performance Costner.
Published 25 days ago by Andrew Leaman
5.0 out of 5 stars
I have been trying to get this DVD for ages it a great film
I been trying to get this DVD now for ages . I know a lot of people knock this DVD about the assassination of JFK but most of the information in it is accurate great film
Published 27 days ago by william
5.0 out of 5 stars
A powerful and compelling testament
I was a very young student when JFK became president of the United States and though I was many thousands of miles away, like millions of others , I experienced a sense of despair... Read more
Published 1 month ago by C. Taylor
3.0 out of 5 stars
good
the movie is brilliant and I love it but this is supposed to have extra footage. not sure if something to do with it being US import but the selection screen is odd. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mark Twain
5.0 out of 5 stars
very good movie
I bought this to replace a vidio ( ( thats the big rectangular brick shaped one with the magnetic tape in it ) incase your under 21 and cant remember 80,s technology ) still a... Read more
Published 1 month ago by gb66
3.0 out of 5 stars
never seen it
bought as a present, the JFK story is one many people want to watch, I personally cant watch the cardboard acting skills of Kevin Costner hence 3 stars.
Published 2 months ago by Mr.Noisy
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Have Movie
No complaints. Everything as explained, great service. JFK is not only a great movie but gives a good insight into the event itself. A must have movie for any serious collector. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ashley
5.0 out of 5 stars
Iconic account of tragedy and conspiracy.
Epic film, full of detail from the era. Frantic and distraught people in every frame, still inspires debate, always will.
Published 2 months ago by chris marriott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brill!
i loved it, been wanting to watch it for so long. so insprational that even during bobby and kings assasination there was asmall group people trying to get to the truth. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Miss Troke
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