January 14, 1992 -- ``JFK,'' another film directed by that man mired in the 60's, Oliver Stone, is an excellent film indeed, but one that should not be taken too seriously.

Stone, who has brought us sweeping films about Vietnam and about ``The Doors,'' now brings us another sweeping film about the most dramatic and tragic event of the 1960's, the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

Kevin Costner stars along with many other fine actors in this long engrossing propaganda film which strives to prove a single theory about the assassination. Costner gives a fine performance as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, a man who becomes obsessed with the assassination.

Perhaps Garrison is a surrogate for Stone in the film, because Stone himself seems obsessed by the Kennedy murder. In one scene it seems almost funny when Garrison wakes up late at night and starts talking about the assassination to the clear annoyance of his wife, played by Sissy Spacek.

Joe Pesci also has a standout role in the film along with Donald Sutherland, Ed Asner, Jack Lemon, Walter Matthau, John Candy and Tommy Lee Jones. It is a big, star-laden, talented cast.

Although this film is over three hours long it maintains interest throughout. Only one scene, ironically the climactic courtroom scene, falls off a bit in intensity as Garrison throws in a whole laundry list of strange coincidences and odd events, seemingly unrelated which seem to help little in advancing the story. Costner drones on and on about it.

Through it all, one feels the invisible hand of Oliver Stone, carefully sorting and selecting images, deciding what we will and won't see on the screen, advancing his theory of a secret government conspiracy to kill the President in order to continue the war in Vietnam to the exclusion of all other possibilities.

Stone ridicules the ``magic bullet'' theory advanced by the Warren Commission about a single bullet causing wounds in both Kennedy and Texas Governor Connolly. He says in the film that the bullet pauses in mid-air, changes direction, shatters bone without any visible damage to the bullet itself.

Stone's vision of the assassination is repeated again and again, but one must remember it is not the only vision. Another filmmaker of equal talent could just as easily ``prove'' that Kennedy was assassinated by the lone killer, Oswald, or by the Mafia, or by the Cubans. ``JFK'' proves nothing. It is just a movie, just propaganda that happens to be entertaining, but very good entertainment at that. History will have to decide who really killed John Kennedy.

``JFK'' is very thought-provoking, but if you see it, be prepared to be manipulated. By the way, this is no show for kids, or the squeamish. The graphic Zapruder film is shown over and over, showing the terrible, fatal head wound suffered by Kennedy. There is also some nudity, foul language and a graphic autopsy scene. This film rates a B+.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.