Even better on the second viewing

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2003)

I thought JFK was considerably more enjoyable on my second viewing of the Oliver Stone masterpiece. During my initial viewing there was a lot of information to process and at times it felt as if the characters were not interacting as human beings but merely spouting facts for the benefit of the audience. Stone himself says in the DVD interview that he wished he could've included an intermission. Nevertheless this film is so relevant beyond the facets of mere filmmaking (by the way the performances and direction are top notch as would be expected). Beyond even the question of JFK's assassination, the film examines the very checks and balances that allow for the existence of the American Republic ("not an empire" as Pat Buchanan correctly points out). Riveting, 9/10.