Customer Reviews

The Murder of JFK: A Revisionist History

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As the leading civilian authority on the U.S. Secret Service (and President Kennedy's interaction with the agency), I was much interested in this DVD by Matthew White. Quite frankly, I didn't expect much, but the technical brilliance of the program---and the archival footage contained herein---make this a worthwhile purchase. Get this. vince palamara

First of all, let me just say that I am very qualified to give a review of any film concerning the JFK assassination. I am currently a professor of psychology at Texas A&M International University with an educational background in sociology and political science. I began my research on the Kennedy assassination more than 8 years ago as an honors student in a Texas History class. Since then, I have returned to the subject on and off and have given presentations on the subject as a graduate student and more recently as a professor. In the process of doing my research, I came across Noel Twyman's book Bloody Treason. At first I was turned off by the dramatic title (which I later discovered was a line from Shakespeare's Ceasar), but once I read the book (over 800 pages) I realized it was very objective and scholarly, and the approach of the author was that of a prosecuting attorney making his case before a court of sceptics. I admired the depth of this man's research and was very surpised that his work did not receive the respect or attention it most certainly deserved. Either way, I later watched the Final Chapter episodes of the Men Who Killed Kennedy on the History Channel, and while I had some minor objections to the simplicity of its conclusions regarding the Texas connection, I feel that Nigel Turner nonetheless deserves praise for his great contribution to this line of historical research. Having reached my own conclusions, I had put the subject of the Kennedy assassination to rest for a while. Then I came across The Murder of JFK: A Revisionist History on DVD while perusing through some newly released DVDs. I have to say that I wasn't eager to spend another $18 on a JFK assassination DVD that I knew next to nothing about. But I finally decided to take a chance and make the purchase. I was not dissapointed in the least. In fact, I was suprisingly impressed with how much detailed information was revealed in this DVD and how well the filmmaker compiled news footage that was either rare or very hard to find. The most interesting and indeed the most important aspect of this film is that it places the JFK assassination in the context of the global and national sociopolitical atmosphere. In that sense, it also offers a very detailed analysis of historical events during the late 1950s and early 1960s. I agree with the previous reviewer that the film, unlike the Men Who Killed Kennedy series, doesn't draw any firm conclusions, but definitely gives the viewer enough information to continue doing research on their own. In sum, if you want to get to the truth of the Kennedy assassination, read Bloody Treason by Noel Twyman, watch the Final Chapter episodes of the Men Who Killed Kennedy (including the older episodes), and buy the Murder of JFK: A Revisionist History on DVD.

Probably the most interesting documentary on the events preceding and following the JFK assassination I've ever seen. Full of terrific news footage that makes the time period come alive, including a strange news clip of Jack Ruby's lawyer telling newscameras that being in Dallas makes him want to vomit! This documentary tends to lean towards conspiracy, careful to never vocally express that viewpoint as THE MEN WHO KILLED KENNEDY did. It offers a lot to think about without taking a firm stance, which I appreciated.

Anyway, there's much to process here. If you've got any interest in the case, in the Kennedys, in Castro or the Cold War, you'll enjoy this DVD.

"The Murder Of JFK: A Revisionist History" makes a very nice addition to any collection of John F. Kennedy-related materials (regardless of whether you're "pro-conspiracy", "anti-conspiracy", or somewhere in between with respect to your particular beliefs regarding President Kennedy's assassination). Although a definite thread of conspiratorial belief most certainly is woven into this documentary, it's not shamefully brazen or overly ridiculous-sounding in terms of conspiracy, which is unlike many of the other outlandish JFK theories and plots that have been postulated in the various books, films, and documentaries over the years.

What this program fails to do, though, is to delve in any depth whatsoever into the life (and more importantly, the mind) of Lee Harvey Oswald....a man who I believe killed John Kennedy all by himself in 1963.

Oswald's role in the assassination is pretty much glossed over here; and, strangely, Jack Ruby (the man who killed Oswald on 11/24/63) is barely even mentioned in this documentary. There's a short clip of Ruby murdering Oswald in the police basement, but after that snippet the subject of Ruby comes up (as I recall) only one other time, during a rather strange film clip showing a group of protestors demanding the immediate release of Dallas prisoner "John Ruby". (Oddly, these protestors didn't even seem to know the true name of the man they were fighting so hard to have released from jail.)

"A Revisionist History" is a lengthy program, with a running time of 140 minutes (not the 180 minutes that is advertised on the DVD). It was made in 1999 and won an award for "best use of news footage in a documentary". And I can see why. This DVD is loaded with rare news snippets associated with JFK's terrible murder, which occurred in Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963. There are many news clips presented here that I had never seen before, including quite a bit of footage taken during the years leading up to Kennedy's death.

"Revisionist" hints at a possible "Cuban connection" with respect to JFK's ultimate demise, and thusly this documentary features several video and film clips taken in Havana around the time that Fidel Castro gained control of Cuba. One such interesting clip was culled from "The Ed Sullivan Show" of January 5, 1960, where Sullivan puts on his interviewer's hat and asks Castro some hard-hitting questions. Fidel, in a classic bit of irony, informs Mr. Sullivan (and, hence, America) .... "You can be sure that Batista will be the last dictator of Cuba".

Some of the video footage seen in this program can also be found in another excellent, must-see documentary film on the Kennedy assassination, that being 1964's "Four Days In November" (narrated by actor Richard Basehart).

"Four Days" in many ways serves as a good companion program to "A Revisionist History", insofar as presenting a large dose of vintage filmed materials relating to the JFK case.

In my own opinion, "Four Days In November" (which consists of almost nothing but vintage, archival news footage, circa 1963) is superior to all other Kennedy films and documentaries, with a musical score by Elmer Bernstein that is also second to none. But this "Revisionist History" program has its own set of high points in the "vintage footage" department as well, making it a pretty good bookend piece to "Four Days".


Some of the highlights worth noting from "A Revisionist History" include:

>> A good-sized portion of a June 22, 1964, interview with Texas Governor John Connally (via KRLD-TV in Dallas). Mr. Connally, after having recounted the entire assassination sequence which had occurred exactly seven months earlier, becomes quite emotional at the end of this footage. This black-and-white clip (which appears to be on videotape and not film) exhibits super-sharp video and audio quality.

>> Footage showing John Connally introducing Lyndon Johnson as a candidate for the Presidency at the Democratic National Convention on July 10, 1960.

>> Two brief rarely-seen film clips (in color) showing Lee Harvey Oswald during his altercation with police on the streets of New Orleans in the summer of 1963.

>> The November 29, 1963, telephone conversation between new President Lyndon Johnson and Senator Richard Russell, discussing the creation of LBJ's Warren Commission, of which Senator Russell was strongly opposed to being a member (as can be heard in this phone call). Excellent audio quality attached to this clip, too.

>> Very, very rare film clip (I'd never seen it before) showing Warren Commission members standing outside the Texas School Book Depository Building in Dallas in July 1964. This B&W film footage is accompanied by audio as well, with the microphones picking up some comments made by Allen Dulles and David Belin. This unique footage also shows Dulles and Belin looking out at Elm Street (where JFK was assassinated) from behind the picket fence atop the now-famous Grassy Knoll in Dealey Plaza.*

* = I thought that that particular "Behind The Picket Fence" portion of this 1964 footage was rather interesting, in that it certainly indicated that the Warren Commission members were, in a sense, not totally ignoring the idea that one or more shots on 11/22/63 could have conceivably come from behind that fence -- otherwise, why would the Commission and its staff have even bothered to have a look for themselves at the view that a potential assassin would have had from that Knoll vantage point? (Conspiracists will no doubt argue that the Commission members were merely "going through the motions" for the press, which was following the WC's every move in Dealey Plaza that day, as can be observed in these film clips.)

>> Portions of a BBC-TV special entitled "The Death Of Kennedy", in which the Single-Bullet Theory is discussed (and even re-constructed on camera using mock-ups of victims Kennedy and Connally). This BBC clip, which is in B&W, also includes comments made by Warren Commission counsel member Arlen Specter, as Mr. Specter defends his position aggressively with these words: "You call it the theory; I call it the conclusion; it was a theory until we found the facts; that's why I refer to it as the Single-Bullet Conclusion".**

** = Note: The DVD claims this BBC program aired on January 27, 1964; but that's an obvious error/typo. The SBT had not even been postulated by Specter and the WC as of that January '64 date. The Commission, in fact, as of that date in early 1964, had barely even begun their work. That BBC broadcast was actually aired on January 29, 1967.

>> Rare color footage of a portion of the FBI/WC re-enactment of the assassination from the 6th-Floor window of the Book Depository (as seen through the scope mounted on Lee Oswald's Mannlicher-Carcano rifle). I didn't know that color footage of the FBI re-creations even existed until viewing this DVD. This snippet is very, very short, but it's quite interesting seeing it in fairly-vivid color.

>> A September 27, 1964, news clip from a CBS-TV special ("November 22nd And The Warren Report"), with Walter Cronkite giving a general overview of the just-released Warren Report. Cronkite speaks forcefully about the facts and evidence of Oswald's guilt during this B&W news clip. I especially enjoyed Mr. Cronkite's first blunt and to-the-point observation re. the Warren Report: "Oswald was a liar". (Darn right he was, Walter. LHO never stopped lying from the minute he was arrested in the Texas Theater. And it's great hearing a newsman reporting it like it is.)

>> A portion of Walter Cronkite's September 1969 CBS-TV interview with former President Lyndon Johnson, during which JFK's assassination is openly and candidly discussed. (Note: Oddly, this particular in-color news clip with Johnson and Cronkite is shown in a 1.66:1 Widescreen format on the DVD. A few other clips on the DVD are also shown in Widescreen for some reason.)

>> March 1975 footage of the late-night talk show "Good Night America" with Geraldo Rivera -- The Zapruder Film (showing JFK's murder) is broadcast for the first time on national television. This color clip includes Robert Groden's blatant exaggeration of the number of witnesses that he claims heard shots from the Grassy Knoll on 11/22/63 ("80 percent"). Groden deliberately overstated the number of Knoll earwitnesses in order to further his own notions of a JFK conspiracy. In reality, well more than 50% of all earwitnesses in Dealey Plaza said they heard shots from BEHIND the President's car, and not from in front of it.

This same "Good Night America" footage (in expanded form) can also be found on another MPI Home Video release from 1998 -- "Image Of An Assassination: A New Look At The Zapruder Film" (which is another very worthwhile collectible DVD product pertaining to the Kennedy murder case).

>> Color film clip of Congressman Christopher Dodd interrogating former CIA Director Richard Helms on September 22, 1978, during the House Select Committee's inquiry into JFK's death. Stinging remarks by Mr. Helms can be heard in this clip, which is footage that's not in very good shape, picture-quality-wise.

In the years following JFK's murder, Richard Helms, obviously sick of having his agency raked over the coals and suspected of having a hand in Kennedy's death, always exhibited a harsh and brusk tone in every comment I ever heard him make publicly in wake of President Kennedy's assassination. Helms' comments, however, come off as rather foolish-sounding in this specific clip re. "AM/LASH".

>> Video clip of an irate Wesley Liebeler (Assistant Counsel member of the Warren Commission) in the early 1990s, wherein Mr. Liebeler publicly denounces the Oliver Stone film "JFK". Liebeler: "Your movie is a vast tissue of falsehood, deception, and distortion. .... Your movie cannot be defended on a factual basis".

>> The "Castro Playing Ping-Pong For Three Hours" video clip. (Consult the DVD for more details on this humorous footage.) ;)

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DVD Specifications:

The single-sided DVD for "A Revisionist History" offers up a clear-sounding Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo soundtrack (although some of the vintage '60s-era audio clips do show their age, with understandable limited fidelity and waning crispness).

The video on the DVD, with the exception of a few Widescreen clips, is Full-Frame (1.33:1). English subtitles are included. A Scene Selection Sub-Menu provides access to the program's 17 individual chapters. There aren't any Special Features to supplement the main program. The Keep Case packaging includes a 16-page DVD Catalog List for other titles released by MPI Home Video.

DVD Chapter List:

1. Opening Credits
2. Battlefield Cuba
3. Fidel Castro
4. Bay Of Pigs
5. Operation Mongoose
6. Peaceful Resolution
7. Test Ban Treaty
8. Dallas
9. Oswald Killed
10. LBJ And The Aftermath
11. J. Edgar Hoover
12. Warren Commission
13. Conspiracy Theories
14. Assassination Committee
15. Seven Days In May
16. History
17. End Credits

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In-A-Nutshell Breakdown Of This Program:

Pros:

>> Many rare and hard-to-find-anyplace-else news clips.
>> Good video (DVD) quality.
>> Peter Dean's solid narration. (Peter also, btw, served as narrator for MPI's "Image Of An Assassination" documentary.)


Cons:

>> Could probably have been edited down to a shorter length.
>> The music score (which isn't very impressive, IMO).
>> Not enough background information on Lee Oswald.

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Overall......

I think that conspiracy theorists and lone-assassin believers alike will be able to appreciate many things within this MPI program, with the wealth of seldom-seen film footage that is presented here, all by itself, being worth the cost of this disc for ardent collectors of JFK-related material.

Though this reexamination of the variety of conspiracy theories contradicting the idea that Lee Harvey Oswald was solely responsible for the tragedy in Dallas is dry and academic in places, there's enough archival footage to get any history buff excited. There's not only a digitally remastered version of the still-gruesome Zapruder film, but also a really fine setting of the times, describing the powers of the Mafia, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Cuba, the USSR and the right-wing in America, separately and together motivated to remove the young, popular president. Historian Arthur Schlesinger and writer Jack Anderson provide interesting anecdotes and comments, and, while no specific theory is completely embraced, the DVD remains a fascinating look at a painful and troubling part of our history.

JFK: A Revisionist History helps the viewer to understand that the [...] of John F. Kennedy was far more complex than having been committed by a lone, crazed gunman named Lee Harvey Oswald. In fact it makes a good case for the whole thing not having been committed by Oswald at all. This even goes into all the political events and those who may (or may not) have played a part in doing this horrific act. It also goes into a lot about the autopsy and whether the shot to the President's head did damage that looked like this or that. It also explains something about who may have controlled things and why, so that the Warren Commission was so resolute in it's final assertion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole shooter, inspite of the overwhelming amount of information to the contrary. A very good DVD to see to add further information to the knowledge on this event in history.

If you are at all interested in JFK conspiracy lore, watch this documentary. There is so much evidence and footage that you most likely haven't seen before that you will be amazed. It's really shocking that this footage isn't more widely used in other JFK docs.

I will just add to the accolades. This documentary avoids the shrieking and name calliing and presents a sensational selection of news clips and reportage to present the proper context for any JFK murder discussions.

Add this to the dvd of "The Tillman Story" (which doesn't mention JFK at all) and one will better understand how - 50 years later - military people will always follow orders and will assist in creating false images of people if it is in the interest of the military.

There were many "admirals and generals" at JFK's autopsy. The doctor who "burned" his notes andhis original autopsy report was following orders.

Countless clips, many never before made public, form the framework for this amazing documentary.

The Castro-Kruschev connection is examined and will yield epiphany on the part of JFK students. The subject of ongoing drug trade between pre-Castro Cuba nd organized crime is not factored in directly but there is sufficient detail here on the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs disaster, involving far right desires to conquer the new Cuba; and the growing Peace movement.

Some fascinating information on Lee Harvey Oswald which should satisfy the anti-"lone nut" theory adherents. The Joseph Milteer taped conversation is used effectively within the narrative.

This DVD has a great historical background on what led up to the murder of JFK. It is not a theory item though, so it will not really give you a theory or a set of persons whom they feel carried out the murder for the most part, they will only give you the backdrop, which I feel was well thought out. This is a great subject, my book is on its way as well; take it from the Special Agent, Oswald would have had trouble shooting himself in the foot never mind a moving target; yes it happen in America, they removed our President from power, and the results have been horrible; The Vietnam War, Watergate, Iran Contra, Iraq Wars 1 + 2, 911, massive recessions, and now our new Vietnam, Afghanistan; Welcome to our world, minus common sense and rational thinking.