IMAGE OF AN ASSASSINATION: A NEW LOOK AT THE ZAPRUDER FILM
MPI Productions
1998

n stark contrast to Beyond JFK, this documentary offers unbiased, scientific presentation of the facts. Focusing solely on the Zapruder film itself, it presents a 45-minute chronicle of the history of the infamous film from creation to restoration. It is the story of a piece of evidence within a mystery, and as such is distinctive.

The graphic 22-second film would never have existed at all had Abraham Zapruder's co-workers not persuaded him to return home for his camera. But as it was, in a format known as double 8mm, with perfect exposure, good focus and framing, Zapruder just happened to capture one of the most defining moments in modern American history. Zapruder, perhaps sensing something the rest did not, was extremely careful from that point on, keeping the film under lock and key and obtaining affidavits at every step of its processing and duplication.

Eventually, Zapruder gave the Secret Service a copy of the film and he quickly sold the rights to Time-Life, Inc. A pirate copy was broadcast on national television for the first time by Geraldo Rivera in 1975 (he called it "heavy"), who was criticized for his decision. The original film was turned over to the National Archives, where it has remained ever since. Using digital technology, photographers and archivists were able to re-shoot every frame of the Zapruder film, digitize it on to a computer and recompile the footage frame by frame. The result is a film of much greater quality and clarity which alone makes this video a worthwhile rental.

Hands on a Hard Body

Image of an Assassination

LBJ