This is America's "Triumph des Willens"

Rating: 1/10 (7 March 2000)

[WARNING: May Contain Spoilers]
Oliver Stone gives Leni Riefenstahl a run for her money for making the most insidious film of all time. Both filmmakers are brilliantly talented. Its what they do with their talent that is disgraceful.
"JFK" is a propaganda piece. This genre, however expertly crafted, always suffers from its roots in advocacy. This is why some wartime flicks seem agonizingly corny.
What separates "JFK" from most of its fellow propaganda films is the views and interests which it wishes to advance.
Namely, "JFK" advances the idea that Lyndon Johnson aided by the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dallas Police Department, the Pentagon, Bethesda Naval Hospital, Parkland Hospital, the City of Dallas, the John Birch Society, communists, fascists, cuban left wingers, cuban right wingers, mobsters of various political and personal bents, nightclub owners, topless dancers, reporters both national and local, and various others sought to snuff out President Kennedy and cover it up for infinity.
The vehicle for advancing this claptrap comes in the form of the intrepid and dogmatic District Attorney for New Orleans, Mr. Jim Garrison played by Kevin Costner. Costner's portrayal of Mr. Garrison may be right on the money. He spends most of the film completely absorbed with the idea of a conspiracy. In addition, he makes very lengthy pronouncements throughout the film consisting mostly of bombast and grandiose theories from the fringe. Mr. Garrison's staff are played up as "yes men" dupes (until the end, when we see some rebellion). I thought it quite amusing that one of the deputy D.A.'s is played by the comedian, Wayne Knight, better known as Newman on Seinfeld. Now that is apropos.
Normally, this film should be considered simply trash. However, "JFK" has become some sort of an educational tool. It shows up in high schools around the country every year to "teach" our kids. Of course it also shows up in our living rooms so the intellectually lazy can take a three hour course on President Kennedy's assassination. Despite the outrage of traditional historians (whom I suppose are part of the plot themselves), the majority of viewers still buy the preposterous premise, hook, line, and sinker. This moves "JFK" beyond the category of trash, and places it within the company of "Triumph des Willens" for its evil.