Customer Reviews

The Zapruder Film: Reframing Jfk's Assassination

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

This book is a very good addition to the library of JFK Assassination literature. For the first time that I know of, the custody of the Zapruder film has been carefully documented and researched as well as other topics like CE-399 (The Magic Bullet.) David Wrone uses the Zapruder film and good old common sense to quickly dismiss of Gerald Posner and the Single Bullet Theory. He also satisfactorially addresses the two topics keeping conspiracy believers from progressing with the case. One being the Zapruder alteration Fetzer people and the other being the Greer-did-it scenario. Both of which are pretty rediculous when viewing good quality copies of the film. Also, I'm glad somebody finally put the Umbrella-was-a-dart-gun theory into the trash bin where it belongs.

But this isn't to say the book is perfect. The author picks on many authors from Jim Marrs, Jim Garrison, David Lifton, and Mark Lane. He calls pretty much every book on the assassination as being sloppy and not honestly researched. He mentions how authors would make accusations without going into further detail but he himself does this on several occasions.

On page 119, he writes: "Many historians, myself among them, were especially disturbed by (Oliver) Stone's reliance on such error-ridden sources as Jim Marr's 'Crossfire' and Jim Garrison's 'On The Trail of the Assassins.'" It ends there, with no examples of the errors. I'm sure no book is perfect, but one example would help.

On pages 130-131: "(Oswald's) New Orleans Fair Play for Castro chapter did not exist, although he pretended it did; it was simply Oswald's invention." ... "He was never, in any meaning of the word or even in the faintest degree, a traitor. ... If Oswald had been a traitor, upon his return to America he would have been arrested and charged with that offense."

He never goes into all the evidence that actually points to Oswalds FBI and CIA connections. We don't know exactly what he did in Russia and if it was top secret Soviet or US stuff, I doubt the truth ever will come out. We shouldn't assume we know. He merely dismisses them and goes onto another topic.

My only problem with his attacks on Zapruder film alteration is that he states Fetzer and Co. didn't get the best witnesses or most qualified people to contribute. Yet in regards to how the Zapruder film doesn't clearly show a blow out in the back of JFK's head like all the Parkland and Bethesda witnesses said existed, he merely says all the doctors were wrong. This is a very Posner thing to do. Page 129: "In fact, there was no rear-side blowout... Medical authorities mistook for a gunshot hole a flap of skin with bone and bloody matter attached that was thrown back over the head on a hinge of skin." Where did any doctors say this? The new Robert Groden DVD "Case for Conspiracy" has interviews with Parkland and Bethesa doctors. They see the "official" autopsy photos and all discuss what they had seen. They all mention the hole in the back of the head being about the size of a baseball. They say there is no way the back of the head was intact. Now the doctors are all mistaken? I'm sure the doctors would know a blow out in the back of the head from "a flap of skin with bone and bloody matter attached that was thrown back over the head on a hinge of skin."

Page 182: "There is no blowout in the back of the head. No hair is out of place on the back of his head; there is no blood on the back of the head, nor on his collar, neck, or jacket." [What about the pictures of JFK's bloody shirt?]

Page 187: "Over the last decades a large number of theorists have claimed the photographs of the assassination and the autopsy materials were faked by federal authorities to hide the patent, clear, and solid evidence that contain of a conspiracy. ... These charges, however, are without logical or factual foundation."

Yet on page 3 of the insert in "High Treason" after page 306 is a picture that is sure to be in other books. It is clearly a fake picture of the back of the head because the top of his hair is much darker and it is 2-dimensional and the rest of the photo is 3-dimensional. It is the most obviously faked picture in this case. This is very confusing. He pretty much has the opinion that if people forged photos, they shouldn't have left in evidence of a conspiracy like which clearly exists in the autopsy photos and Zapruder film. And since evidence of a conspiracy is obvious, they couldn't possibly have been messed with. But the picture I just talked about does both. It hides the hole in the back of the head and adds a little hole in the back of JFK's head to show an entrance wound. Wrone says there was a conspiracy, but he takes the governments word on a lot of stuff.

So for these reasons, I have to give the book three stars instead of five. I could be wrong, but some of this seems sloppy to me. On page 199 he calls Jim Garrison "brilliant" and then on page 203 (4 pages later) he agrees with another author who called him "incompetent."

This book provides both solid historical information and what many may regard as speculation. If the book convinces you, you'll view all of it as solid fact.
There are now 3 camps on the events of November 22, 1963: the Warren Commission believers who view Oswald as the lone gunman, followers of various conspiracy theories who say there was a second shooter but who regard the Z film as key evidence, and now the Z film hoax group -- see the new Fetzer book by one of the other reviewers here -- who say there are several shooters but further postulate that the Zapruder film was faked.
This book traces the chain of custody of the original Zapruder film and all its earliest copies. To me, it is convincing that the Zapruder film, while several frames were damaged in processing, is not a fake. The film is never unaccounted for long enough to be substantially edited using advanced methods that leave no evidence of editing. (If it were faked, why release it with so convincing a portrayal of more than one shooter? A film so convincing that the Warren Commission has to explain away what appears to be a shot fired from the front.)
The speculative part of the book uses the Z film as evidence of a second shooter. The Warren Commission Report and its single bullet theory are disputed. (According to the book, the Z film supports the idea that Governor Connoly was hit by a bullet that never hit JFK. The entry wound in the president's back is too low to result in a throat exit wound and the injuries to Governor Connolly -- all caused by one bullet on a downward path. This "single bullet" is moved by political forces, not ballistic ones.) As many will be chanting "Oswald did it!" it is good that the book does not explore who the other shooter might be. Certainly, nothing in the photographic record can provide the identity of the mystery shooter.
This new book is a worthwhile addition to the assassination literature. It will have you looking at the Zapruder film with new insight.

Excellent account of issues related to the contents and implications of the Zapruder film to the assassination investigation. Dr. Wrone does an admirable job of building on existing research without being derivative or cumulative. Researchers must take the findings of the book seriously. Agree or disagree, the evidence must be considered by future researchers and historians.

Prof. David Wrone's "The Zapruder Film" is a compact pro-conspiracy book on the assassination of President Kennedy. Although worth reading I find its conclusion - that President Kennedy was killed by conspiracy - finally unconvincing. The book can be divided into two halves, one chronicling the history of Abraham Zapruder's vital home movie of the assassination and the other presenting evidence for conspiracy. The book does not attempt to be exhaustive. There is little in it concerning the JFK autopsy, the Mexico City controversies or the Warren Commission itself. It focuses almost exclusively on what occurred in Dealey Plaza that fateful day. The book takes to task those who argue (impossible as it is to imagine that anyone sane would argue it) that the Zapruder film was in anyway altered by conspirators. The author also argues that while the evidence argues for a conspiracy it does not tell us who conspired or why. This is refreshing in light of how many without hesitation blame the CIA, the mafia or Cuban exiles for the assassination. The book has significant weaknesses. For one, it does not mention the shot to the back of the head of President Kennedy. If the president was shot from the grassy knoll he would have had to have been improbably hit by two bullets within a second of each other. It postulates more than three shots but does not discuss the fact that 90% of witnesses testified that they heard only three shots fired. The author also does not mention that the markings still visible on the bullet fragments found in the car connected them to Oswald's gun. Regardless, this book is one of the stronger pro-conspiracy books and contains much that is informative regardless of one's position.

Highly controversial indeed ! I totally agree with one of the reviewers here that it is rather disappointing that we do not get a true break down on what is happening in the key shot sequences of the film i.e. the single bullet theory sequence from Z220 to Z270 approx and head shot sequence Z312 to Z340 approx. And it is quite disappointing too that we do not have the witness list of the people closest to the limousine in Zapruder's film and in fact to know how many came forward and who are not known to this day if any.

It is an interesting read in some ways in that you are given a good history of the film, but the books conclusions around conspiracy are thin and do not stand up to modern day scrutiny in my opinion. One for the collection, but if you are new to the case there are other books which are better read such as Richard Trask's book on the Zapruder film and Mel Ayton's works.

The author is a professor of history who taught courses on the JFK assassination for over 20 years. His close examination of the Zapruder film refutes the "lone gunman" and "single bullet" theories. The film provides a precise timeline of events and clues for the timing, number, origins, and impact of the shots. Using other key photos, the author builds a case to refute the Warren Report. More than three shots were fired from more than one location. Lee Harvey Oswald was not guilty as an assassin. The author was assisted by the voluminous archives of Harold Weisberg. David R. Wrone concludes JFK was killed by a conspiracy, but cannot identify the conspirators (p.1). But this is too little and too late, since others have written books much earlier. If their conclusions differ, that reflects their points of view, and the lack of incontrovertible proof. This cover-up implies high-level conspirators in Government and the Establishment. Wrone hopes that scholars who defend the Warren Report would reconsider; this naively assumes they are free to think for themselves. The existence of conspiracies is well known in just American history (p.2).

The Zapruder film disproves the official story of the assassination, and establishes that multiple riflemen killed JFK (pp.47-48). The explosion of JFK's head is incompatible with hardened military ammunition. One of the foremost ballistic experts disagreed with the "single bullet" theory (p.87). A powerful corporation bought this film and controlled its release to the public. Wrone tells what was wrong with a "Scientific test" that was government funded (p.103). Was there another rifleman (p.105)? Wrone criticizes David Lifton's "Best Evidence" and its altered body (pp.136-137). Since the wounds seen at Parkland hospital differed from the wounds seen at Bethesda, alteration was a likely assumption. But switching to a body double was a more practical solution. J. Edgar Hoover immediately claimed a lone assassin (p.143). Mark North's "Act of Treason" can explain why.

The Warren Commission manipulated the evidence to arrive at a predetermined solution (p.149). The murder of Oswald closed the case and kept the secrets. The corporate media bore a large responsibility for the acceptance of the Warren Report (p.150). The Bronson film does not show Oswald in the assassin's window, or anybody else (p.153). So too does the Hughes film (p.155). Chapter 11 is the most important, as it proves Oswald was innocent. The AEC confirmed Oswald did not fire a rifle or a pistol (p.172). Jim Garrison's "On the Trail of the Assassins" was the basis for Oliver Stone's dramatic film "JFK". It seems more credible than the "single bullet" theory (pp.205-210). Chapter 15 discusses the problems with CE399 (p.211). The origin of CE399 is a mystery (pp.224-227). Chapter 16 reveals the dissent over the "single bullet" theory (p.259=8), and against the propaganda campaign in the media (p.257).

Chapter 17 is a long argument to confiscate private property without payment. Wrone claims this would reinforce the "principles of a truly democratic society"! This perverted reasoning would be a violation of the Fifth Amendment. Another big mistake is the failure to list George O'Toole's "The Assassination Tapes". This 1975 book presented objective physical evidence that questioned Oswald's guilt, and may have led to the Congressional investigation that reopened the case. I dislike his haughtiness towards earlier writers who had less experience.

With the publication of this book the author established himself as just another academic lackey in the JFK controversy, joining such illustrious government types as Robert Blakey, McAdams, and Ken Rahn. I believe they have all accepted government dollars, for themselves or their universities.
If one could believe Wrone, about all that can be said for the JFK assassination is that there was a conspiracy, but there must have been two shooters, hence conspiracy, but somehow Lee Oswald was not one of the shooters.
According to Wrone, the Warren Commission did a bad job, but it certainly wasn't intentional, so one shouldn't look to government agencies, like the CIA, FBI, or secret service, for the culprits. His buddy, Harold Weisberg, did look at just these agencies in his many books. He surely must be spinning in his grave.
I believe this author will someday be recognized as the Gerald Posner of the assassination research community, this book is so bad, so slick, so superficial, and so lacking in scholarship. A real disappointment.

Although Professor Wrone has been obsessing about the JFK assassination since about 1968, his book is a well-reasoned, and thought provoking account of the historical puzzle of the 20th century. Hopefully, this book will inspire someone to organize a private, independent review of the case, starting with no preconceptions. For example, there are many excellent forensic pathologists who can review the Zapruder film and let us know if the head shot could have been possibly inflicted from a bullet entering the back of the head.

In sum, Professor Wrone has written a fascinating review of the Kennedy murder that is a must for anyone seriously interested in the facts.

When you think about it, the professional historian has the edge of those who are trying to make sense of the Kennedy assassination. Presumably they should have a good grasp of the historical forces, i.e., political, economic, social, and personal forces that combined to bring about this murder. At a mimimum the student of American history should have an excellent grasp of the history of his country at least since the time of the second world war, meaning an understanding of the historical forces during his own lifetime.
With this in mind, it becomes clear that this man has abandoned his role. In fact, this book has trivialized the Kennedy assassination, a very sad thing indeed.
As an example of the many things wrong with this book, here is one. Both Abraham Zapruder and his assistant Marilyn Sitzman claim they saw the president lurch forward upon being struck by a bullet. In fact, in his television interview shortly afterward, Zapruder demonstrates for his interviewer, Jay Watson, the lurch that he claims he saw. For those who have never seen this film clip, you may want to check it out. Zapruder makes a very pronounced lurch. What Wrone fails to point out to the reader is that THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING LIKE THIS LURCH TO BE FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE WHOLE LENGTH OF THE ZAPRUDER FILM! So the obvious question must be asked, how is it possible for both Sitzman and Zapruder (and also Charles Brehm, another Dealey Plaza eyewitness) to see something which is not contained on the film? And why doesn't Wrone bring up the obvious question? Does he believe his readers to be as asleep as he appears to be?
Fortunately, other people have taken up the slack left by the silence of the historians. The sociologist Donald Gibson has written two excellent books of great importance concerning the Kennedy assassination, "Battling Wall Street", and "The Kennedy Assassination Cover-Up".The Zapruder filn authenticity debate is just another red herring in this case. For those who are really looking for the historical processes behind this murder, I would suggest that readers obtain the Gibson books.

The reader of this book need not crack it open to begin experiencing the deceit and duplicity that permeates it.
On the front dust cover we see what appears to be three frames from the Zapruder film. If the reader looks closely, they will see that there is not a true separation between the frames. This gives the impression that the frames are better centered than they actually are.
Many people have pondered over Zapruder's apparent lack of concentration as the killing frames begin to come closer.
One reason that has been given is that the Newman family has been edited out of the original film. They would clearly have been visible falling to the ground if the film had been centered properly. Mr. Newman was just one of many who claimed that the limo had stopped, or nearly stopped. Of course, in the extant film, there is nothing resembling this stop.
Again, this deceit on the dust cover cannot be understood as un-planned. This author is just one of many who has been "bought and paid for".