Narrated by Morgan Freeman, this new documentary by Cory Taylor goes where the recent mainstream news organization coverage did not dare: to the political context of JFK’s violent removal from power.
The New York Times called it “well-researched” and a “worthy entry” in the JFK documentary film catalog.
Worth seeking out. Plenty of interesting and insightful recollections and analysis by about a dozen historians. There may be some revelations for those who are not deeply immersed. Superb documentary film making. Undoubtedly a labor of love for director Cory Taylor whose previous works include 2009’s The Power of The Powerless and 1998’s Avalanche: The White Death for which he won a Prime Time Emmy for Sound Editing.
This film focuses on the familiar Cold War crises of a young president increasingly at odds with his military/intelligence professionals. Some of the most compelling parts of the film are contemporary interviews with the men who served as translators for Nikita Khrushchev and President Kennedy during the Vienna summit of June 4, 1961, Viktor Sukhodrev (Khrushchev) and Alexander Akalovsky (JFK). Candid recollections from the daughters of Norman Cousins who accompanied their father to meet Khrushchev, and commentary from Khrushchev’s son are also new.
The filmmakers have chosen to make no stated inference about the circumstances of President Kennedy’s assassination. I believe JFK: A President Betrayed will be a valuable resource to anyone, especially those whose lives began after his death, for assessing the context and meaning of his presidency and his life.
I’m hopeful it will soon be available on DVD.
I happened upon this on TV about a week ago and it was very good. Didn’t see it from the start. I’d been avoiding other JFK specials because they are so aggravating.
This one laid the groundwork for a conspiracy without stating it, perhaps making it all the more effective.
^ Agreed, Thomas. Truly an exception to the great deluge of God awfulness to which we’ve been subjected by the governing media.
I admire these young men who got it right and executed it well.
I just happened upon this film on TV (DirecTV) last night. Luckily I caught it from the beginning and saw it all the way through. I was actually amazed to see it playing in a mass-media venue.
I agree with the other posters who expressed positive reactions to the film. Quite well done. Great background on the JFK presidency with respect to the cold war interactions with the communist block as well as the internal struggle between JFK and some of his advisors, including the military and the CIA. We know about this ourselves, of course, but it’s good to see this outlook being presented to the wider public. Though the film doesn’t specifically address Kennedy’s assassination, it does pose the question indirectly by talking about how JFK was treading on dangerous ground with the military, etcetera, by taking the approach that he did and bucking the war hawks.
As to those who doubt what Kennedy would have done in Vietnam (and in other foreign policy arenas RE: the struggle with the communist block) had he not been killed, I think it’s far too speculative to suggest that he would have taken a similar route as LBJ. It’s more important to go by the clues that we do have — things such as National Security Action Memorandum 263 and the McNamara-Taylor Report that preceded it, and the American University Address — the latter being quite remarkable in a lot of respects. (In the context of anti-communist perspectives that were running as rampant as they were during that time, the American University address was a real breakthrough moment, even stepping beyond the independent thinking he displayed during the missile crisis. I think this is really telling as to JFK’s willingness to buck the prevailing political winds. It’s too bad we don’t have such independent thinkers now.)
Of course MSM will ignore all of this as they have roget stone’s book.
There Is no question anymore Kennedy would not have done what Johnson did In Vietnam but My suspecions on who killed him are more
Anti-Castro people who were Involved In Castro assassination plots.
That would implicate element of CIA and elements of the mob
Right wing power brokers In Oil and Military Industral complex
Their top politican Lyndon Johnson-I used to dismiss the idea of him being involved but I am rethinking that
Curtis Lemay-The inspiration for right wing general In 7 days In May
Those are who I would look at for being Involved.Oswald could have been the shooter on 6th floor and betreyed.He may have simply been the fallguy but even if he was a shooter he wasn’t only one.
Seeking more information on this I found:
http://apresidentbetrayed.stta.us/screenings
http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-11-20/film/jfk-a-president-betrayed/full/
I still wonder if it is to be shown in U.S. theaters, on TV or will be available for purchase.