(1963)
4.5
Mark Deming
The disturbing power of these 26 seconds of 8mm film makes one of the most painful days of American history feel uncomfortably fresh. The murder of John F. Kennedy was the first and most shocking of the political assassinations that would pockmark the 1960s, and its most indelible image came from an amateur photographer, Abraham Zapruder. Zapruder's footage looks at first like just another home movie, an ordinary guy's record of the President's visit to his home town, complete with shaky camera work and grainy, over-bright colors. Seemingly out of nowhere, something hits President Kennedy, a spray of blood bursts from his head, and all is chaos. Depending on your point of view, the film either confirms or contradicts the notion that JFK's assassination was part of a larger conspiracy. But the most basic fact of this film is simple and inarguable: a man is killed in the prime of his life, and it's impossible not to be moved by that shocking reality.
Zapruder Film on AllMovie
Zapruder Film (1963)
