Customer Reviews

JFK: The Book of the Film (Applause Screenplay Series)

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Possibly the smartest screenplay ever written for an American political film. People tend to respond to this movie according to their own beliefs and conspiracy theories, instead of respecting the brilliant technique with which screenwriters Oliver Stone & Zachary Sklar bring these familiar events to new life. Not for the literal-minded, perhaps, but a brilliant construction, a movie that shakes up assumptions and makes you think. Worth a second look, on video and on paper.

Among all the stories which popup every day, this is one story that we should tell our children exactly how and why it happened, the book as the movie did, presented the whole enigma in such a fantastic realistec way, you feel actually living with the characters breathing with them, at times joining in discussions... the complexity and huge number of names and sides in the story means it is not for teatime at all, you really need to concentrate well with this one.
The event was a tragedy no question about it, and what the late Mr.Garrison tried to do was to prevent what we are witnessing now a days by disclosing the truth, to tell the truth is a courageous mission, to stick to it and face such enormous powers ready to do any thing even kill the president is even harder.
I do recommend that we should have a copy of this story whether as a book or as film, for the sake of history which is always twisted by the claws of the most powerful .

"JFK, The Book of the Film "is really an extraordinary achievement....

The screenplay incorporates practically every rumor, fact, factoid, and theory regarding the events of November 22, 1963.

Almost every line of dialouge is meticulously footnoted....

The second half of the book is a compendium of op-ed articles both in defense of and attacking (as in the case of Tom Wicker, Alexander Cockburn, et al) both Oliver Stone and the film. At times these attacks seem both humorless and hysterical ("hey guys..it's a MOVIE!")

Though the book is ten years old, I find myself taking it off the shelf every six months or so to browse both the screenplay and the media barrage surrounding it.

A great book!

More than any of his other films, JFK proves that Oliver Stone is neither the cinematic genius that his most ardent supporters would have you believe nor the egotistical hack his harshest critics claim. Despite what some have claimed, Stone does not assert that he is filming "history." He is, in fact, very open with the premise that he is analyzing and commenting on history through the dramatic form.

Does Stone change the order of events and the actions (and names) of characters for the sake of creating good drama? He does, but he is honest about it. Indeed, by using the sometimes dizzying structure of flashbacks and multiple film-stocks that give JFK such a dynamic texture, he is being much more honest in his approach to history than most other "respectable" film-makers. History is almost always viewed from a highly personal perspective and Stone knows it, and he tells us so through his film-making.

It is unlikely that anyone will ever know the full truth of the Kennedy assassination. Did Oswald act alone? Was there a conspiracy? Did Oswald act alone and upstage a larger conspiracy to kill Kennedy? We will never know. What Stone did in the film JFK (and develops in this book) was to take nearly thirty years of theories about the assassination and try to turn them into a coherent narrative and an engrossing film.

Are there contradictions and holes in Stone's narrative? Indeed there are, but that is true of basically every theory surrounding this defining moment of the 20th century. Whether you agree or disagree with Stone on the particulars of the event, he has fostered a debate about a topic which remains clouded. Much of what is here should be taken with a grain of salt, but this book is a valuable resource for anyone who would like to explore the myths and legends surrounding November 22, 1963.

This book presents factual information that should be known to every American. Where the movie about the assassination of John F. Kennedy presents a plausible scenario, the book provides a list of essential elements that points, as the movie, to a conspiracy. It is disquieting to read, so many years later, that some believe a single bullet inflicted such wounds to two men but supposedly survived in near pristine condition. This book should be read along with Trauma Room One by Dr. Crenshaw who was there at Parkland Memorial Hospital and examined the President's wounds. The first version of Dr. Crenshaw's book was declared by the American Medical Association to be a fabrication but he won a judgement against them in court.

This is an excellent reference book with footnotes throughout the script for "JFK", which provide the reader with sources for the events being described (I'm proud to say that an article I wrote about Priscilla Johnson McMillan is referred to on p. 48.) In addition, almost 100 articles from newspapers and magazines dealing with the controversy surrounding both the film and JFK's murder are provided, as selected by the editor, Jane Rusconi (who headed the research team for the movie). There are also several important documents provided in the appendix of the book, as well as Jim Garrison's actual closing argument to the jury. All in all, a great contribution to the assassination literature.

I went back to read this book and follow some sources and was surprised of what I found. I compared it to another book being sold here on Amazon, here is what I found. Now that the KGB has exposed their own double dealing in putting out admitted false facts to under mine American freedoms and society, I think Oliver Stone owes us an explanation! I mean, I guess he never thought the Soviet Union would fall and files would get out showing why and where false rumors were placed to attack our institutions' creditability, did he? Well, in another book listed on this forum, "The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB" by Christopher Andrew, Vasili Mitrokhin has done just that with verified, factual, papers taken from the KGB by KGB. All of sudden KGB Agents working in America are coming out being exposed for the first time. Oliver Stone fell for much of these rumors when making JFK as shown by his own sources in this book. I think his reputation, creditability and trustworthiness should not only be questioned but avoided for incompetence, to say the least! Why would anyone want to promote Communistic rumors about JFK's death in America. Oliver Stone did, but who cares why! "The Sword and Shield" is written by a History Scholar of the highest credentials while this book is written by a drunk driver, that is all that needs to be said. I wonder if the films of "Nixon" and we already know that Stone changed "On The Fourth Of July" from what happened at the Democratic Convention to the Republican Convention which was a total faslehood in an alleged biography. It seems most of Stone's films are based on similar shoddy work by a storyteller claiming he filmed history. Based on this book and knowing the other book Oliver Stone should be ashamed of himself. After reading both books I can only say, Oliver's last name is about what his life and perceptions of life are all about, being STONE blind whne making reality.

In Oliver Stone's 1991 motion picture "JFK" (and in this book version of that film), a major stepping "stone" to "conspiracy" that's used by Mr. Stone (and nearly all other conspiracy theorists who have studied the John F. Kennedy assassination since that sad event occurred in 1963) is the contention that the controversial "Single-Bullet Theory" is and was a completely preposterous myth that could never have happened in a million lifetimes, and was placed into the Warren Commission's final report re. the Kennedy assassination solely out of NECESSITY. I, however, cannot disagree more strongly with such an allegation.

While it's true that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is given the most credit for having come up with the "Single-Bullet Theory" to explain the simultaneous wounding of President Kennedy and Texas Governor John Connally -- as a point of fact, the "SBT" was in reality "More Than Half Way Home" (so to speak) as early as November 23rd, 1963 (well before Mr. Specter had ever gazed at any of the evidence in the JFK assassination case).

Why? --- Because the seeds that ultimately sprouted the wholly-acceptable and utterly-logical "Single-Bullet Theory" are right there in the November 1963 autopsy report signed by Drs. Humes, Boswell, and Finck.

It wasn't Arlen Specter who just arbitrarily decided (on a whim or ON HIS OWN) that a single bullet had gone completely through the upper back of President Kennedy and had exited his throat in the front. It was the AUTOPSY DOCTORS who made this critical determination on November 23, 1963 (one day after Kennedy's death and the FIRST DAY when ALL available and required information had been assembled and evaluated by the autopsy doctors; i.e., the first day when Drs. Humes, Boswell, and Finck had any knowledge at all that a bullet hole had been located in the front of President Kennedy's neck).

The remainder of the SBT was, of course, pieced together in the early portions of 1964 by Specter (and probably other WC people as well) while utilizing other important information and evidence surrounding the assassination.

The WC testimony of Robert Frazier of the FBI was an integral part of the "SBT puzzle". Frazier testified to the very important information about there having been no limousine damage in the rear-seat areas of the vehicle, proving that no bullet or bullets had penetrated the back seats or the Connally "jump" seats; nor did any whole or nearly-whole bullet(s) come to rest anywhere near JFK's or Connally's seats on 11/22/63.

And there's, of course, the other vital (bodily) link in the "SBT chain" -- John Connally's body and his wounds (with the "elongated" entry wound on the Governor's back being a tell-tale sign that the bullet which struck Mr. Connally almost certainly had hit something or someone else first before entering the Governor's back); plus the lack of ANY bullets in Connally's body (and none found in JFK's body either, which was determined at his autopsy); and the determination by Connally's doctor (Dr. Shaw) that Connally's wounds were all most likely caused by just one single bullet.

Which leads us to the ONLY BULLET ever discovered anywhere near the victims that could have been linked in any fashion to the wounds sustained by Kennedy and/or Connally (the non-fatal wounds to JFK that is) -- famous Bullet #CE399, which was found on a stretcher at Parkland Hospital by Darrell Tomlinson prior to 2:00 PM (CST) on 11/22/63, which would have been a ludicrous time for any conspirator(s) to have wanted to "plant" such a bullet -- because it was WAY TOO SOON to know for certain if OTHER missiles would be recovered from either of the victims, other bullets which (if found) would have rendered a "Planted CE399" completely useless and superfluous and, above all, PLOT-BLOWING!

CE399 was linked to Lee Harvey Oswald's Mannlicher-Carcano rifle (to the exclusion of every weapon ever made), and, via NAA analysis, that very same bullet has been linked (with near certainty) to the bullet fragments removed from the wrist of wounded Governor Connally.

Given all of the above (in its totality), can someone please explain how in the "Real World" (where most of the population resides) the Warren Commission could have come to any conclusion OTHER than the Single-Bullet scenario to explain all of these above-mentioned factors?

Obviously, they could not have explained the wounds themselves (and the wounds' physical arrangement on the two victims' bodies)....and the lack of bullets....and the lack of limo damage via ANY other logical and reasonable way -- other than to say what the Warren Commission ultimately did say: One single missile (CE399) travelled through John Kennedy's upper body, exited his throat, entered John Connally's back (sideways), traversed the Governor's chest (taking out a rib en route), exited the Governor's chest just below the right nipple, continued on its flight into Connally's right wrist, then exited the wrist where it became spent in the Governor's left thigh .... where it then was dislodged at some point (in the car or in the hospital), ending up on Governor Connally's stretcher, where the bullet was then discovered by hospital employee Darrell Tomlinson at approximately 12:50 PM to 12:55 PM, Dallas time, on November 22nd, 1963.

But the literal genesis of the Single-Bullet Theory lies NOT within the Warren Commission or Arlen Specter specifically -- it lies in the autopsy report itself, a report which was signed by three different doctors WEEKS before the Warren Commission even began to assemble its panel of counsel members and legal assistants (which didn't occur until mid-December 1963).


Let's have a look (verbatim) at just exactly what was determined to be the truth concerning the details of President Kennedy's back and neck wounds as of November 23, 1963 (six days before the Warren Commission was even created):

"Summary: Based on the above observations, it is our opinion that the deceased died as a result of two perforating gunshot wounds inflicted by high-velocity projectiles, fired by a person or persons unknown. The projectiles were fired from a point behind and somewhat above the level of the deceased. .... The fatal missile entered the skull above and to the right of the external occipital protuberance. .... The other missile entered the right superior posterior thorax above the scapula and traversed the soft tissues of the supra-scapular and the supra-clavicular portions of the base of the right side of the neck. This missile produced contusions of the right apical parietal pleura and of the apical portion of the right upper lobe of the lung. The missile contused the strap muscles of the right side of the neck, damaged the trachea, AND MADE ITS EXIT THROUGH THE ANTERIOR SURFACE OF THE NECK. As far as can be ascertained, this missile struck no bony structures in its path through the body."* (Added emphasis my own.)

* = From Page 6 of the Official Autopsy Report on President John F. Kennedy (aka: "Pathological Examination Report"); Bearing the signatures of all three doctors who were present at JFK's 11/22/63 autopsy at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, Maryland; Signed by: Commander James J. Humes, Commander J. Thornton Boswell, and Lt. Col. Pierre A. Finck.

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The above passages from John F. Kennedy's official medical legal autopsy report absolutely destroy the idea spouted by conspiracy theorists of TWO separate bullets striking the back and neck areas of President Kennedy. And, in essence, this reference to an 'Into-The-Back-And-Out-The-Neck' bullet path, as described by JFK's autopsy doctors, results in (literally) two-thirds of the "Single-Bullet Theory" being purported just ONE DAY after Kennedy's death. The "two-thirds" being -- An OFFICIAL explanation by the autopsy doctors themselves linking .... #1.) The entry wound on JFK's upper back to .... #2.) The exit wound on the front of his neck.

Why it is that the word of ALL THREE of these pathologists who signed off on the Official Autopsy Report describing the wounds of a murdered American President are tossed into the nearest ash can by virtually ALL conspiracy promoters is something I have a difficult time reconciling (except to say that the "CTers" desperately NEED that autopsy report to be dead-wrong in order to further the notion that THREE separate bullets struck JFK and John Connally that day in Dallas, instead of just the one "SBT" missile).

But the OFFICIAL record is crystal clear regarding the back and neck wounds to President Kennedy....and has been crystal clear since November of 1963.

To repeat this ultra-important point -- The doctors said that just ONE bullet passed clean through John F. Kennedy!!

Therefore -- unless every last one of these three autopsy doctors are (to a man) hopeless and utter incompetents or all three of them are lying scumbags who would deliberately falsify the most important autopsy report any of them would ever sign in their entire lives -- then the very first (and verifiably-TRUE) seeds and important links to the Single-Bullet Theory lie in that 1963 Autopsy Report -- and not just in Arlen Specter's mind (nor in any unsubstantiated "theory" placed on the table by Mr. Specter alone, as many CTers seem to believe).

Conspiracy theorists should begin to accept the obvious -- that "obvious" being: the Single-Bullet Theory is the most logical and valid scenario to explain the seven wounds sustained by John F. Kennedy and John B. Connally in Dealey Plaza. And it is the ONLY possible explanation of the event that stands up to critical scrutiny, detailed analysis, and common-sense interpretation of the evidence when the ENTIRE batch of Single-Bullet-favoring evidence is gathered together in the same place.

Denying this fact is to play Oliver Stone's game -- a game highlighted by mystery killers firing from the Grassy Knoll, unexplainable disappearing bullets, and a series of bullet holes (made by THREE different gunmen) in TWO different victims that mirror a SINGLE-BULLET EVENT so closely as to be deemed "perfect" for the adoption of the "SBT" in the months following the shooting.

And I ask with the utmost sincerity -- Who in their right mind would have any desire to play that conspiracy-filled game of impossible-to-pull-off nonsense? Not I, that's for certain.

If anyone would visit Dallas, Texas and the location where JFK was shot, you realize just how much disinformation has been written on this subject, especially this screen play. I found the entire screen play just a fatasy of paranoid exploitation by a profiteer claiming to sell the truth! For example, the grassy knoll is less than 30 feet from the road way, with an easy 10 second slow jog, up a knoll about 3 feet high from the road way, to the fence on the Grassy Knoll. If shots came from there it was easy for any policeman to run to that area, let alone see anyone tryimg to shoot from such an open area. Even a quick getaway is not as easy as this screen play makes it out to be, since you can preview the entire parking lot for over 100 yards. Also, the distance from the sixth floor to the road is far closer by observation that anyone can imagine, except for Oliver Stone. These easy observable locations makes the Warren Report much more accurate than this screen play. Also, the people who benefited by JFK's death was the Democratic Party and its leadership not any right wing Republican radicals? Johnson won overwhelmingly and the Democrats took even a stronger positions in the House and Senate. Moreover, to support such a screen play based upon the past reliability of the author in biographies that are suppose to be real stories about real people is another reason to doubt its integrity. Again, another example I can cite here is "On The Fourth Of July" where Ron Kovic was beaten and thrown out of the 1968 Democratic Convention, not the Republican Convention. What few know is that Oliver Stone was a delegate to the Democratic Convention but this fact permits him to change facts in this film based on poetic license. So be it, but such behavior cannot be construed for the truth by a truth teller. The same for this screen play, it is a great work of intentioanl fiction meant to poison the minds of the reader to reasonable, objective and available facts, and does it very well indeed, If the public prefers to remain blind, so be it! Some will say these are stupid stories for stupid people, others will say it is a great tale but please remember it is just entertainment. Well, this screen play is a very entertaining story but please don't call it a book of facts, truth and accuracy. It is a very good fable as well as the film.

This is an absolute travesty. Every possible conspiracy element - discredited or not - is added in. Garrison's investigation of the innocent Clay Shaw - the least substantive theory - is the platform for Stone's delusions. And it would HAVE to be about the Vietnam War wouldn't it !
Take one example, the three tramps arrested in Dealey Plaza: Stone has them armed in the film , but they were not connected in any way and were later released.Read Anthony Summers instead and ignore this rubbish.