Pro's and cons about Stone's films.

Rating: 6/10 (14 March 2005)

Oliver Stone is undoubtedly a very intelligent man who is very passionate about the chosen subjects he tackles- Vietnam, JFK, Cuba etc. However, with Stone I often do not feel that I am watching a film but more a lecture or some strong political argument/viewpoint.
This is not to say Stone is not making very well made films witch often contain very strong performances but often it is hard not to overlook the grandeur of his films or the stunning shots and focus on the fact that you feel like you're dealing with an activist.
I feel much the same when watching films by Michael Moore (particularly faranheit9/11). As a result one of the feelings I take from Stone's films is a feeling that I am being patronised. Strong and very biased views are being hammered into the viewer from the outset. This is certainly the case in 'JFK' particularly the mesmerising editing in the opening montage scenes which, although brilliant, is clearly biased.
Don't get me wrong I generally agree with arguments of Michael Moore and Oliver Stone I just feel that in 'JFK' and in other Stone films such as 'platoon' and 'born on the 4th of july' we are watching more a propaganda pamphlet than a piece of cinema which has balanced views and more open debate towards certain issues.