The Day Kennedy Died

I just caught this in a screening, and was absolutely captivated by the storytelling. This is a minute by minute telling about what happened in Dallas, Texas, on this day 50 years ago, 22nd of November 1963. We meet those who we're standing so close, that they saw the shootings and even got the blood spatter on themselves. The interviews with the persons are followed by film clips from several angles. Amazingly all the film- and photo cameras around this day has made the film makers able to reconstruct if all in a way I though would never be possible.

We get to see all in details. From the presidents following want on his last speech and on to the Air Force one 13 minutes before landing in Texas, and to the traveling with the body. We also see the arresting of Lee Harvey Oswald, the questioning of him, and Jack Ruby's shooting of Oswald 35 hours later.

The film gives me no doubt what so ever that Oswald was the killer. It's strong to see Oswald's girlfriend telling about her thoughts of the day, and when the police came to search her house. She still remembers like it was yesterday.

This documentary got me interested in watching JFK once more. I think this film was a blessing to see, killing off most of the conspiracy theories which have got opportunities and time to evolve. The most accurate telling of the story you'll ever see.

I once heard the Kennedy motorcade in Dallas had a last minute change. Instead of continuing down Main Street it would take a right turn at Dealey Plaza and continue on Elm Street, and would pass directly in front of the school depository. Later I heard stories that the change was simply part of the many right wing conspiracy theories. In the documentary, Buel Frazier stated when he and Oswald arrived at the depository they had been informed, by another employee, that the route had been changed, that the motorcade would travel in front of the building. So if Oswald was the shooter, someone must have told him in advance of the change, since a shot from the sixth floor window of the depository would be impossible if the motorcade continued down Main Street.

Another interesting part of the documentary was a witness who recounted hearing the shots fired, that went, "bang, pause, bang, bang." I've heard this before from other witnesses. The problem is an Italian Carcano, M91/38, doesn't go "bang, pause, bang, bang." Maybe if it was a semi-automatic weapon, but not a very clumsy bolt action. I own a Carcano, and it's probably the worse military weapon ever produced. I also don't think anyone has been able to duplicate the three shots supposedly fired from the sixth floor window with a Carcano.

Last, is the false impression that Oswald, as a Marine Marksman, was an above average rifleman, and could have easily made those shots. Marksman is not an indicator he was an excellent shot. Marksman is one of three categories when qualifying with a rifle in boot camp, or basic training. The best riflemen are given an expert rating. The average is given a sharpshooter rating. The ones that can barely hit the targets, are given a Marksman rating. I know, I was a Marksman, and could barely hit the broadside of a barn.

3 reviews here, and I dare to say that they don't get that this documentary had no intention to give answer on most common question: who organized this murder, what was the motive ...

All what was presented happened in 3 days in fact. It is good that they let those still alive in 2013, who were at the place to say what they saw, felt ... It was mixed with recordings of what was on TV stations in that time, some archive footage, and few older statements, memories.

That was actually decent. I don't see that anywhere was said something about giving definitive answers. What was couple times said is that this and this initiated lot of conspiracy theories.

Well, killing of Oswald was for sure something what resulted with 'conspiracy theories' - and that's perfectly normal. Especially as his murderer did not live long after that ... It was not mentioned at all here, and that's good, because then this could go on more, and will last 99 hours ...

Once again the uninformed are treated to another re-hash of the Warren Commission coupled with snippets of Reclaiming History by the late Vince Bugliosi.

Throughout the 2 hour narrative by Kevin Spacey,knowledgeable assassination researchers noticed how convenient the work omitted or glossed over some very relevant issues that tend to question the so- called official version.

Examples include:

(1) The so-called TBD roll-call in which Oswald was supposedly the only missing employee- a complete falsehood.

(2) The explanation by Clint Hill that the reason JFK's remains were taken from Parkland Hospital was because LBJ would leave Dallas with Jackie who wouldn't leave without her husband. The truth is that the Secret Service, in complete violation of Texas law, forcibly and illegal removed JFK's remains from the legal grasp of Dallas County thus neutering the evidence forever. The sham ' autopsy ' which later followed in Bethesda was also just barely mentioned in the film.

(3) A segment shows a uniformed Dallas PD Sgt. and Detective handling a wallet at the scene of the Tippet murder. Who's wallet was it ? An FBI agent on the same scene claimed it belonged to Oswald- yet the official WC fairy tale indicates that Oswald's wallet was removed from him in the DPD squad car en route to the jail after he was arrested in the Texas Theater.

It would nice if a network actually bothered to do some research and present some arguments to the novice JFK assassination student that probed a little and questioned the Warren Commission baloney.

Captures the frantic rush to the local hospital, the public chaos that ensued, the quickly mobilized manhunt by law enforcement looking for a suspect after witnesses identified the source of the gunshots as the Texas Book Depository, and the clash and confusion of media and authorities as Oswald is brought in for interrogation.

By the time this film was released, anyone interested in the JFK assassination probably knows all the facts, as well as 1,000 other facts that may or may not be important (depending on your point of view). Regardless, this does a great job of boiling everything down to just the one day -- both before and after -- and focusing on first-hand accounts.

I am no expert on JFK, but I think anyone who wants to know about his death and only has 90 minutes, this would be an excellent place to start. It really does cover all the basics of the situation.