So if it doesn't come to any "new" conclusions, is there any reason to sit down and watch this show? Yes, because what it does well is paint the entire picture of the situation, conspiracy theories and all. Interviewed are several with close ties to the assassination, whether they were there that day, or knew someone involved. What it doesn't do is sit you down in front of endless charts, graphs, and other evidence that people have used to take either side of the case. Robert Stone leaves that to other books and shows that spend much more time on the evidence.
The people interviewed take different sides, and are convincing in their testimony for different reasons. Included here are interviews with Dan Rather, who was there reporting on the event early in his career and Mark Lane, an attorney famous for taking a stance against the accepted Oswald assassin view. The film does a good job of giving you a look at different stances on the event and the overall impression this made and still makes on the public today.
Although the film doesn't specifically mark each piece of film that it shows from the time period, Robert Stone mentions that there is some "new" footage being shown here. Though it doesn't make much difference, it would have been nice to know what material was new. The infamous Zapruder film is shown, which is famous for being the "best" shot of the assassination. But like the rest of the film, no solid conclusions are drawn from it. For example, you'll hear the "back and to the left" line, but the film offers differing, brief opinions on why this happened. None of the opinions are presented as conclusive, or "right," they are simply presented.
Special features on this DVD are really just more interviews, but they're still interesting. The interview with Robert Stone did shed some light on the purpose of the film, making it easier to understand why it never takes a real stand. The modern day footage of guys that seem to be running conspiracy tours in Dealey Plaza are a small taste of the conviction that "common" people have for these theories, and it's logical to see it included on this DVD.
It may be frustrating that the film doesn't come to any solid conclusions other than the obvious; Kennedy was assassinated in Dealey Plaza, Lee Harvey Oswald was considered by an official report to be the lone gunman based on evidence, but was killed before he was able to go to trial, and the event was one of a tragic chain of events that set off major unrest in the United States. But then, the way it puts everything else into perspective is something that can be considered valuable to the current generation, many of which have no tangible connection to this event. This film may not satisfy the hardcore history buff and detail-oriented people. However, if you want all the major points put together and to gain a general understanding of what happened, there probably isn't a better way than this film.
