Oliver Stone and ‘JFK’: The Debate Goes On

Mathews touches on the central question of media history versus reality. Certainly Oliver Stone can be rightly accused of distorting history in his evocation of Jim Garrison’s prosecution of Clay Shaw (but much less so, I think, in his presentation of conspiracy evidence). However, this kind of problem will not go away and will only get worse.

Already, most people take their history from film and television re-creations. In the near future, simulation technology will make it impossible to tell the real from the fictitious. At some point it will no longer be necessary to have actors impersonate historical figures because likenesses of those individuals can be computer-animated to compellingly portray events as someone decides they were, or ought to have been.

Though most opinion polls since the late ‘60s have shown that a majority of Americans believe there was a conspiracy, an even larger number have said they don’t want the case reopened. Perhaps you don’t need a gigantic formal conspiracy to change history and get away with it, after all.

IVAN DRYER

West Hills