Planet of the Arts Volume7 Issue5 page 10

HISTORY & CONSEQUENCES

by Jeff Griffiths

As you all are no doubt aware, yet another Oliver Stone film opened recently to another flurry of controversy. Even more Americans were shocked out of their complacency and forced to question everything they had ever known. With each film, Mr. Stone seems to zero in on a particular sore spots on the usually thick skin of the American psyche. With Platoon, it was Vietnam, with Salvador, it was a questioning of American interests in Central America. Wall Street took a peek anda poke at the Wall Street hacks that run the American economy. He used The Doors (in my mind his finest extravaganza) to probe one of the central dark figures of the sixties youth movement, and in doing so, subtly questioned much of the foundation upon which many Americans have built their dream.

With each film he has taken a chunk of popular myth away with him, exposing the bleeding flesh that is the ugly truth. And with his latest effort, he seems to have dropped the carving knife of past forays and taken up an axe instead. In Oliver Stone’s new movie, JFK, he is threatening to undermine the very idea of what it means to be American in the latter half of the twentieth century. And not surprisingly, he seems to have done this in a very typically American fashion.

AsI write this, I have not yet had the pleasure of seeing the film, so I cannot comment on any specific content. What I would like to focus on instead is all the hooplah that has come in response to the movie. As a matter of fact, I have a notion that Mr. Stone would agree with me in saying that the controversy surrounding the film, and the reaction of the media towards the film are at least as important as the filmitself. And it would have been impossible to avoid this controversy. Evenif JFK had been horribly done, it would still be a film about the Kennedy assassination by Oliver Stone costing 40-odd million. Such a thing no self-respecting hack writer could possibly ignore. Including me.

However, it is important to note that the heart of the controversy is that Stone has made JFK too well, that it is too convincing, that it may be taken as the truth. What appalls me is that it took an $40 million movie by Oliver Stone, master of the “powerful, chilling blockbuster movie”, to finally get the American public to question the validity of the Warren Commission’s report. I mean, how thick can one nation under God possibly be?

Perhaps by coincidence I have a personal interest in Mr. Kennedy and his mysterious death. I was born almost exactly ten years after the fact, and as such my birthdays were almost always marred by some Mini-series or documentary-retrospective on the life and death of “The Last Gunslinger”.

On my tenth birthday, I watched a rather glossy political overview that bought the whole one-man- acting-alone thing. On my fifteenth it was a rather cynical documentary describing Mr. Kennedy’s sexual prowess that included too many close-ups of his grinning face at the 1960 T.V. debate. On my seventeenth (last year) it was a well done, analytical look into the assassination that took into account all the facts and inconsistencies surrounding that day. The evidence is very compelling in favour ¢ some sort of conspiracy, however I cannot say as how we will ever know the truth. As the saying goes, if you continue to beat a dead dog, eventually you get smelly porridge.

My only real problem with what Mr. Stone has done is that he should not have had to twist accountable facts around to make his point. He should not have had to have spent so much money just to prove a political point that is, at best, moot. Sure, the world might have been a very different place if Kennedy had survived. Hell, if the Cold War could have been patched up way back in the sixties, Communism might not have failed. But you can’t change history. Not for long, anyway.

MHS & |

library yourself how billions of American green dollars not only in Iran but almost all over the

Maybe it would be interesting for you to world, including Canada, have helped in de-

know that in my city Tehran, the capital of my country Iran, my house used to be in a street

feating democracy, freedom and all the good things in favour of military rule, dictatorship

assassination of the most liberal-minded presi- (

dent of the U.S.A. The reason why they don’t

leading to Kennedy street, close to its inter- and all the bad things. I got too passionate want to believe this little creature varies in k adetion With McArthur Begiee 1 The Ex- about American foreign policies (that, for me size and colour. Some don’t want to believe it k king of Persia, Mohammad Reza, was more don’t really differ from their domestic ones). because they are somehow economically at- t generous to his American friends than to all of This time my point of departure is the obvi- tached or dependant on the forces who killed c those Iranians that throughoutthehistoryhad °"° investment of US Government inthe assas- Kennedy; all the military and their families, 1 positively affected the social, political and sination of Kennedy. Now, after almost thirty all the people whose jobs are related to arms I cultural face of the country. After all it was years, Mr. Stone has come up with the genu- manufacturing, including government employ- i Americans who would bug ihe oil and let all inely original idea that JFK was victim to a_ ees, especially the high rank ones. Have you v this street-naming business happen. Sorry for high level conspiracy. Really? Thanks, Oliver, ever thought about the people who work for a getting passionate about my country’s politics for telling the truth, but if you’re telling me, CIA? Who are they ? J don’t think that the a but my point is that Kennedy’s name was very well, as I mentioned above, I grew upwiththis thousands of people who get their pay cheques

familias 4a my ear since my early ha tt cod. fact. if youre targeting the average North from Pentagon are from another planet. Nei- s One thing that was attached to his name every American audience, the ones that after all of ther are the handsome American soldiers of a time I-nsed.to hear it frome tie bee aeople was your previews cheesy, tacky, mainstreamstere- fortune who travel to some country to work S the fact that he was vict@aea: a aemariracy, I otypical and big budget efforts would still, in for their dictatorial government in oppressing k mean people weren’t dubious, they were sure these recessionary times, pay eight dollars to and assassinating the democratic forces. Have 1 that Pentagon, CIA, NASA or any of these see your latest historical discovery, I have you seen the movie Apartment Zero? If you f bh coviated American lage ee thing to tell you. First of all, all of those haven’t, please do, because I think you'll get a rectly involved in Kennedy’s assassination. Americans whom you want to shake and wake _ to know the American Conspiracy better than t They had to, because it wasn’t much before have a little creature in the bottoms of their you would in JFK. \ Kennedy’s death that the first democratically hearts that whisper to them “bullshit” every _ Nations never want to believe that their com- s shectcd Dadaaaeicaes Midnite ce, be cee time an authority tells them a so-called fact mon parents-the Governments- are corrupted. c thrown in favour of a 100% recycled military about anything, let alone in a big case like the There are still people, not only in Germany P Army General, and if you have time and pa- but even in Alberta that think the Holocaust s tience you can go and research in a decent was just a joke and they even have enough :

conviction to appeal to the Canadian Supreme

HISTORY & CONSEQUENCES

by Jeff Griffiths

[As youll are no doubt aware, yet another Oliver Stone film opened recently to another flurry of controversy. Even more Americans were shocked out oftheir complacency and forced to question

‘everything they had ever known. With each film, Mr. Stone seems to zero in on a particular sore

spots_on the usually thick skin of the American psyche. With Platoon, it was Vietnam, with

Salvador, it was a questioning of American interests in Central America. Wall Street took a peck

‘anda pokeat the Wall Street hacks thatrun the American economy. Heused The Doors in my mind

his finest extravaganza) to probe one ofthe central dark figures of the sixties youth movement, and

indoingso, subtly questioned much ofthe foundation upon which many Americanshave built their dream.

With each film he has taken a chunk of popular myth away with him, exposing the bleeding flesh that s the ugly truth, And with hs latest effort, he seems to have dropped the carving knife of past forays and taken up an axe instead. In Oliver Stone’s new movie, JFK, he is threatening to ‘undermine the very idea of whatit means to be American in the latter half ofthe twentieth century. ‘And not surprisingly, he seems to have done this in a very typically American fashion.

Aslwritethis, [have not yet had the pleasure of seeing thefilm, so [cannot comment on any specific content. What I vould like o focus on instead is all the hooplah that has come in response o the ‘movie. As a matter of fact, I have a notion that Mr. Stone would agree with me in saying that the ‘controversy surrounding the film, and the reaction of the media towards the film are atleast as {mportantasthe flmitself. And itwould have been impossible to avoid this controversy. Evenif JFK hhad been horribly done, it would still be a film about the Kennedy assassination by Oliver St ‘costing 40-odd million. Such a thing no self-respecting hack writer could possibly ignore. Including,

‘However, itis important to note that the heart of the controversy is that Stone has made JFK too well, that itis to convineing, that it may be taken asthe truth. What appalls me is that it took an ‘$40 million movie by Oliver Stone, master of the “powerful, chilling blockbuster movie", to finally {get the American public to question the validity ofthe Warren Commission's report. I mean, how thick ean one nation under God possibly be?

Perhaps by coincidence I have a personal interest in Mr. Kennedy and his mysterious death. I was born almost exactly ten years after the fact, and as such my birthdays were almost always marred by some Mini-series or doeumentary-retrospective on the lfe and death of “The Last Gunslinger”.

‘Onmy tenth birthday, I watched a rather glossy political overview that bought the whole one-man. acting-alone thing. On my fifteenth itwas a rather eynical documentary describing Mr. Kennedy's sexual prowess that included too many close-ups of his grinning face at the 1960°T.V. debate. On my seventeenth (lastyear)itwasawelldone, analytical look ntothe assassination that took intoaccoun allthe facts and inconsistencies surrounding that day. The evidence is very compelling in favour fomesortof conspiracy, however I cannotsay as how we will ever know the truth, Asthesaying goes, if you continue to beat a dead dog, eventually you get smelly porridge.

‘My only real problem with what Mr. Stone has done is that he should not have had to twist ‘accountable facts around to make his point. He should not have had to have spent so much money jjustto provea political point thats, at best, moot. Sure, the world might have been a very different place if Kennedy had survived. Hell, if the Cold War could have been patched up way back in the sixties, Communism might not have failed. But you can't change history. Not for long, anyway.

Maybe it would be interesting for you to know that in my city Tehran, the capital of my country Iran, my house used to be in a street leading to Kennedy street, close to its inter- section with McArthur Boulevard!. The king of Persia, Mohammad Reza, was more generous to his American friends than to all of those Iranians that throughout the history had positively affected the social, political and cultural face of the country. After all it was Americans who would buy the oil and let all this street-naming business happen. Sorry for getting passionate about my country’s politics but my point is that Kennedy’s name was very familiar in my ear since my early childhood. One thing that was attached to his name every time I used to hear it from the big people was the fact that he was vietim of a conspiracy, I mean people weren't dubious, they were sure that Pentagon, CIA, NASA or any of these Abbreviated American Institutes had been di- rectly involved in Kennedy’s assassination. They had to, because it wasn’t much before Kennedy's death that the first democratically elected Persian Prime Minister had been over- thrown in favour of a 100% recycled military Army General, and if you have time and pa- tience you can go and research in a decent

library yourself how billions of American green dollars not only in Iran but almost all over the world, including Canada, have helped in de- feating democracy, freedom and all the good things in favour of military rule, dictatorship and all the bad things. I got too passionate about American foreign policies (that, for me don’t really differ from their domestic ones).

‘This time my point of departure is the obvi- ous investment of US Government in the assas- sination of Kennedy. Now, after almost thirty years, Mr. Stone has come up with the genu- inely original idea that JFK was victim to a high level conspiracy. Really? Thanks, Oliver, for telling the truth, but if you're telling me, well, as I mentioned above, I grew up with this fact. If you're targeting the average North American audience, the ones that after all of

your previous cheesy, tacky, mainstream stere- typical and big budget efforts would still, in these recessionary times, pay eight dollars to sce your latest historical discovery, I have some thing to tell you. First of all, all of those Americans whom you want to shake and wake have a little creature in the bottoms of their

hearts that whisper to them “bullshit” every _

time an authority tells them a s0- about anything, let alone in a big case like the

Planet ofthe Arts Volume 7 IssueS page 10

MHS &

assassination of the most liberal-minded presi- dent of the U.S.A. The reason why they don’t want to believe this little creature varies in size and colour. Some don’t want to believe it because they are somehow economically at- tached or dependant on the forces who killed Kennedy; all the military and their families, all the people whose jobs are related to arms manufacturing, including government employ- ees, especially the high rank ones. Have you ever thought about the people who work for CIA? Who are they ? I don’t think that the thousands of people who get their pay cheques from Pentagon are from another planet. Nei- ther are the handsome American soldiers of fortune who travel to some country to work for their dictatorial government in oppressit and assassinating t forces. Ha you seen the movie Apartment Zero? If yo jo, because I think you'll get n Conspiracy better than

democrat

haven't, plea: to know the Americ you would in JFK

Nations never want to believe that their com- s-the Governments- are corrupted There are still people, not only in Germany but even in Alberta that think the Holocaust was just a joke and they even have enough conviction to appeal to the Canadian Supreme