The Zapruder Footage Essay Example

of evidence.

After processing the film, journalist Richard Stolley from Time-Life magazine contacted Zapruder to request a viewing of the tape. Zapruder agreed and Stolley, accompanied by Secret Service agents, watched the movie the day after the assassination. This screening shocked everyone present, as mentioned in the documentary. Stolley decided to purchase the tape from Zapruder for $250,000. Instead of airing the tape on television, Time-Life magazine published still images from the movie, excluding frame 313. Stolley explained that he omitted this frame to spare the public from witnessing such horror. However, it is also possible that Stolley was instructed by the Secret Service agents not to publish frame 313, which could have provided evidence of a second gunman. This, though speculative, remains unproven.

The documentary features an interview conducted with Abraham Zapruder during the period closer to the shooting incident. Zapruder, who passed away in the 1970s, had initially filmed the event with the intention of presenting it to his grandchildren as a way for them to witness the president. He had no prior knowledge of the unexpected turn of events. Zapruder reflects on the unsettling impact the film had on all who viewed it.

Researchers had access to a version of the film in the government archives, but it was of poor quality and provided limited visibility. Illegal copies were also produced but proved to be of little value. There were rumors of a superior copy being stored in the vault of Time-Life magazine.

In 1975, Geraldo Riviera aired the full, high-quality movie, including frame 313, on "Good Night America" for the first time on public television. Despite facing criticism from Time-Life and the Zapruder family,

Riviera defended his decision by asserting that the public deserved to be informed. During the broadcast, he described the footage as an execution, suggesting the possibility of government involvement or even legality in the shooting. The film undoubtedly implies that Kennedy's assassination was deliberate and carried out with a specific motive. This notion is not implausible, considering the dissatisfaction within and around the government regarding Kennedy's policies, particularly pertaining to the Vietnam War.

The majority of interviews in the documentary focus on individuals in the media. Stolley, a magazine journalist, and several film directors and producers are interviewed. The male figures in the film industry mainly discuss the deficiency in Zapruder's camera skills, which they coin as "Zapruderism" - referring to when a film lacks quality but possesses remarkable content. They consider the film to be a type of art.

After frame 313 was released, rumors of a government conspiracy spread. Jim Garrison was the primary opponent to the official government theory of a single gunman. He developed the "Magic Bullet" theory, which argued that if there was indeed a lone gunman, the bullet fired would have followed an impossibly convoluted path through Kennedy and Connally, twisting, turning, and even pausing in mid-air. The bullet, after taking this trajectory, would then have emerged virtually intact, which has been proven to be impossible. Garrison suggested that there were multiple teams of gunmen, all firing at the president, including one team situated behind the grassy knoll.

The documentary had a somber and mournful mood, reflected through its melancholic music and emotive storytelling. The individuals in the film discuss the events in a solemn tone, while the visuals are also

poignant. Made in 1993, the documentary effectively portrays the sense of loss following the death of the President.

After carefully examining the documentary and repeatedly reviewing the facts, certain arguments appear more credible. One such argument is Jim Garrison's theory, which proposes multiple sniper teams, as opposed to the Warren Commission's theory of a single gunman with a mysterious bullet. The evidence suggests that the shot that ended Kennedy's life originated from the front, as evidenced by his head being thrown backward and the explosion occurring in that direction.

The Texas book depository, situated behind the limousine, is improbable to have been the source of the fatal bullet. There were also rumors indicating that Jackie Kennedy leapt from the rear of the limousine to retrieve a fragment of the President's brain. Though this scenario may be feasible, it appears more plausible that she acted out of panic and had no role in the assassination. Nevertheless, one fact remains certain: it will require a considerable amount of time before the truth is uncovered.