Part 1 of a 3 part series on the Assassination

The movie “JFK” by Oliver Stone, which has been ridiculed as being complete fiction, examines the most infamous event in American history.  Through the years, many people have offered an explanation for Kennedy’s assassination.  Some claim conspiracy, some believe the Warren commission, while others who believe conspiracy, differ on who did it and why Kennedy was killed.  Today, most Americans believe some sort of conspiracy took place.  But even they are divided on who might have done it and for what purpose.  Oliver Stone’s epic film provides the audience a historic dance through time, based on accurate information from sources who were directly involved with these events.  In this essay, the primary focus will center on Stone’s interpretation of a definitive conspiracy and examine the people or organizations Stone seems to implicate as the perpetrators and their motivation behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

“JFK” begins with an excellent recite of history narrated by Martin Sheen, to provide a foundation for not only conspiracy, but also a truthful look at the actual events preceding the President’s trip to Dallas.  The very first thing we see as the movie begins over a sustained ‘drumbeat’ is a quote by Ella Wheeler Wilcox that’s states; “To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards out of men.”  This quote seems designed to provide a personal message from Stone himself.   Essentially, he has made this film to highlight or give his reason why Kennedy was killed, rather than be silent.  When Sheen finally speaks, he is talking over the famous farewell address by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.  In this speech, Eisenhower tells Americans to “beware of the military Industrial complex.”  This ‘complex’ that Eisenhower is warning Americans about, is based on the simple fact of greed.  Candidly, America currently and at that time, was spending an enormous amount of money on the military and the people who were making that money will do anything to protect their resources.  This is the essential point that Stone is making at the beginning of the movie.  This point is critical; because it provides a clear historical warning about the threat the “military industrial complex” will cause America if left unchecked and provides a motive for assassination.

Stone makes the motive for assassination very clear early on in this film.  After the Eisenhower speech is shown, Sheen begins speaking over video clips of President Kennedy openly talking about the war effort in Vietnam as a war “ that is ultimately a war that should be decided by them.” (Them, meaning the Vietnamese)  Moreover, Sheen says that Kennedy inherits a conflict with Cuba, because American business interests dislike Cuban revolutionary, Fidel Castro.   The Bay of Pigs incident is also discussed, where Sheen ‘reminds’ the audience that Kennedy refused to invade Cuba, like the CIA really wanted.  This insinuation that the CIA and Kennedy were at odds is a true reflection of history.  It is also true that Kennedy at the very least, had discussed pulling out of Vietnam, costing certain business interests, millions upon millions of dollars.  Oliver Stone is being very clear whom he ‘thinks’ killed Kennedy and why they did it.  Stone is stating very loudly, “Kennedy was killed because he was about to challenge the “military industrial complex” that Eisenhower had warned about.

After we witness President Kennedy being killed in Dallas in his infamous motorcade, we are immediately taken to New Orleans, where the focus of not only this scene, but also the movie centers on New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison.  At this point, witnesses are shown giving interviews to local TV stations where they say shots were fired at a hill near the street (the Grassy knoll) and the book depository.  Based on bonus features in the DVD set, Stone explains that those interviews were interviews that were based on people taking from police reports on that historical day.  After these interviews are shown, pictures of Oswald walking and speaking are shown; with a quick mention in news feed to a connection Oswald has to New Orleans. It is at this point, where D.A. Garrison watching the footage, decides to investigate.

Throughout the film, Stone uses the character of Garrison to not only investigate possible motives and conspirators, but also, has Garrison speak about what has been lost since the death of Kennedy.  This element is important, because Stone must continue to demonstrate a reason for Kennedy’s death if his theory is correct.   For example, Garrison is riding on a plane with Senator Long where a cultural discussing is taking place.  Long is complaining about hippies and how out of control the country is when Garrison says, “I sometimes think things have gone downhill since Kennedy died.”  This instigates a discussion between Long and Garrison about the difficulties of physically pulling off the assassination.  Stone not only needs to provide a motive, but he needs to demonstrate, with actual evidence; Oswald could not have acted alone.  This is important because if evidence suggest Oswald acted alone, then the motive for Kennedy’s assassination is irrelevant.  Furthermore, Stone must exonerate Oswald, at least partially that Oswald was a “patsy”, as Oswald actually stated.

As the movie progresses, Stone does an excellent job of highlighting the many inconsistencies of the Warren Commission.   For example, in one of the last scenes of the movie, Garrison is making his closing argument in the prosecution of Clay Shaw, who Stone implicates as the mastermind of the conspiracy. (This was based off of real life Jim Garrison’s book)  In this scene, Garrison explains that after the head shot, Kennedy’s head went “back and to the left, back and to the left”, repeating it several times.  This emphasis that Garrison (and by extension Stone) is making is that even if Oswald was involved, the last shot could not have come from him, because his angle would not produce head movement like that.  Furthermore, Garrison attacks the Warren Commission’s premises that two bullets could have caused all of the damaged it did.  (The Warren Commission contends Oswald fired three shots, and only two landed, hitting not only President Kennedy, but also Governor Connolly.)

Although, the movie is mostly based in New Orleans, the main star of this film is the CIA.  Many of the possible conspirator’s in this movie have links to the CIA.  These links are imperative to proving Stone’s theory that Kennedy was killed because of the war interest of the CIA and other corporate businesses.  In many different scenes, we see Oswald, played brilliantly by Gary Oldman, in New Orleans working with sympathetic Cuban groups, but in actuality, a cog in the machine for the CIA.  I believe Stone is not necessarily making the case that the people depicted in the movie are definitively the conspirator’s, but he is simply using them, again, based off Garrison’s book, to explain the inconsistencies of the Warren report.  Furthermore, none of the character’s Garrisons highlights are said to be guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by Stone.  Even the character of Clay Shaw is never explicitly stating he had Kennedy killed.  Shaw’s character’s seems to be representing a broader group of business people who most likely, had international ties to the CIA.

In closing, Oliver Stone’s “JFK” is not something one should take word for word.  I do not believe it was Stone’s intention to have the audience view this film as the bible on the assassination.  Stone simply made his case for a conspiracy and believed he knew why Kennedy was killed.  By opening the film with the Eisenhower remarks on the “military industrial complex”, Stone is stating he believes that “complex” killed Kennedy.  Furthermore, Stones focuses on the reason, more than the whom, in regards to Kennedy’s death.  The individuals who killed Kenned are not as important as is the reason.  Kennedy’s death helped continue, unabated the Vietnam War where a select few made multi-millions and even more innocent civilians perished.  Stone is making the case that Kennedy’s death was a blow to democracy in favor of greedy war profiteers.  I would tend to agree with Stone and give my take on what happened in Dallas that day.

I believe Lee Harvey Oswald was a patsy as he stated and used as ‘mule’ by the CIA.  His role was to be the accused assassin, while the true reason for Kennedy’s assassination would be silenced by another shadowy figure by the name of Jack Ruby.  Kennedy was killed because he represented a threat to many of the established elite.  His death was the result of his intention to withdraw out of Vietnam.  But perhaps Mikhail Gorbachev, former Premier of the Soviet Union, summed up the real reason for Kennedy’s assassination up best:

“He looked far ahead and he wanted to change a great deal. Perhaps it is this that is the key to the mystery of the death of President John F. Kennedy.”