JACKIE

Chile/France/US, 2016, 100 minutes, Colour.
Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup, John Hurt, Richard E. Grant, Casper Phillipson, Beth Grant, John Carroll Lynch, Max Casella.
Directed by Pablo Larrain.

Jackie has received quite some critical acclaim.

Older audiences will bring their memories of November 22, 1963 to mind as they watch the film. So powerful was the news of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas that many people in succeeding years declared that they could remember where they were when they heard the news. The memory of the assassination was initially perpetuated with the killing of assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, by Jack Ruby, the day after the killing – and the consequent decades of conspiracy theories.

Which may mean that younger audiences, for whom this story is history from half a century ago, may not be caught up in the spirit of this portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of her husband, the swearing-in of Lyndon B. Johnson as president, the fears throughout the United States, the uncertainties, and the preparations for the funeral and the actual march from the Capitol to the cathedral.

So, this is a portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy, the rather aristocratically-styled wife of the president (with her strange uppercrust accent), her presence in the car when her husband was shot, cradling him, wearing the pink suit and hat for which she was remembered, smeared in blood. It is a portrait of a woman who bore herself with great dignity, made decisions, along with Robert F Kennedy, about the funeral with great desires about how her husband would be remembered.

The narrative is not straightforward, rather the to-ing and fro-ing, especially in the week of the assassination and its aftermath. There is a principal flashback interspersed throughout the story, the 1961 television program where Jacqueline Kennedy hosted the television audience in a tour of the White House to make it more accessible, “the people’s house�, with an appearance of her husband at the end of the program. She is rather nervous, being urged to smile by her assistant, Nancy, rather relieved when her husband arrives.

Natalie Portman gives a striking performance as Jackie Kennedy, often very self-contained, introspective, alone with her grief, wandering the White House in a collage of guns and jewellery, to the accompaniment of Richard Burton singing the title song from the musical, Camelot. She is tender with the children, finding a way to tell Caroline and John that their father has gone to heaven and is with their brother, Patrick. She can also be determined, some emotional clashes with Robert Kennedy about the Kennedys keeping secrets, standing her ground in determining the funeral march against the advice of Johnson’s assistant.
The screenplay, by Noah Oppenheimer, writer of popular entertainments like, captures the spirit of the times, the spirit of the Kennedys, some of the social and political issues as well as the personal and spiritual issues. The framework of the film is an interview with a journalist (based on Theodore White who did write a similar article later). He is played by Billy Crudup, attentive, but with many abrasive moments and Jackie trying to determine the way that the article should read.

The screenplay also includes the introduction of a priest confidante, played with robust sympathy by John Hurt, with several intimate conversations between Jackie and the priest, based on the actual father Richard McSorley?, Jackie is able to express her fears, her night thoughts, her wondering about her status, the fact that she had become a Kennedy, wanting to be with her husband – and some practical advice from the priest, about the search for meaning, comforting her that she had received people’s compassion, using the Gospel story from John of the man born blind to remind her that God’s work is to be revealed in mysterious ways, and finally reassuring her that he had his dark nights, but, like everyone, got up the next morning, had a cup of coffee, continued with life, just enough for us to keep going. There is a very moving sequence towards the end where the priest officiates at the reburial of the two deceased Kennedy children at Arlington.

One of the moving scenes is Jackie leaving the White House in the company of her two children. The film uses some actual television footage of the funeral cortege, Jackie walking behind the horse drawn carriage with the coffin, over a hundred international dignitaries marching behind her.

One of the interesting things about the film is that it was directed by the Chilean director, Pablo Larrain (No, about the Pinochet elections of 1988, the biography of Neruda, the film about erring priests, The Club). As an outsider, as a non-American, he has the advantage of not having a more sentimental feel that an American director might bring.

There is a very good supporting cast led by Peter Skarsgaard as Robert Kennedy, Greta Gerwig as Nancy, John Carol Lynch as Lyndon Johnson.

In the film Jackie Kennedy is very conscious of the heritage of Abraham Lincoln, the role of his wife, Mary Todd, wondering what the future will remember about her husband, while Robert Kennedy ponders on all that they might have done had they had the time power in the cut-short Kennedy Camelot.

1. The impact of this portrait of Jacqueline Kennedy? Focusing on one week in 1963, the tragedy, the aftermath?

2. The screenplay, the insights? The interview framework? The focusing on her television show on the tour of the White House? Life at the White House and JFK? Her style, dress, concert at the White House? Echoes of Camelot? 22 November, the aftermath, LBJ, Washington, the logistics for the funeral? Robert Kennedy? Nancy and the family? Memories, clashes, decisions? The discussions with the priest?

3. The incorporation of actual footage, especially for the funeral procession and the dignitaries marching?

4. The score, the discordant and minor tones and chords? The incorporation of Richard Burton singing Camelot?

5. The interviewer, in himself, Theodore White, the article written later than in the film? Jacqueline Kennedy’s view of herself, of her husband, the presidency, Camelot, wanting a monument to JFK?

6. Going to Dallas, the pink suit, on the plane, speaking Spanish, loving crowds, the acclaim?

7. The tragedy, the initial reticence with the visuals? The verbal descriptions, Jackie talking about her husband’s skull, the blood? The later visuals of the event?

8. Lyndon Johnson, taking the oath, Lady Bird with him, Valenti as his assistant? The decisions, the national fear at the time? The role of Robert Kennedy, attorney general? The tension with Johnson, Kennedy getting him to sit down? Lady Bird offering to help Jackie with changing clothes? The issue of exiting the White House? Jackie saying the Johnsons were good to her?

9. Jackie, the grief, asking the driver about Garfield and Mc Kinley, about Abraham Lincoln? Ignorance and knowledge?

10. The television coverage, Jackie hearing the information, especially about Oswald? The presence of the Kennedy family? Rose Kennedy? Ethel Kennedy?

11. Robert Kennedy, his role in the administration, relationship with Jackie, helping, in charge? Shielding Jackie at first from Ruby killing Oswald? Her later discovery, her outburst, the Kennedys and their secrets? Later apology? Robert Kennedy on issues of security? Accompanying Jackie at all the events? Seen in the light of his subsequent history and assassination?

12. Nancy, friendship, the television program, urging Jackie to smile, continued support, her decision to stay with Jackie?

13. The autopsy, Jackie upset, the body lying in state, the transfer? The later visit of Jackie to Arlington, the fog, surveying the headstones, finding a place for Kennedy at Arlington rather than in Boston?

14. Scenes of grief, shock, the pink suit and hat, the blood, cradling her husband, interactions with Johnson, on the plane, at home, taking off the pink suit, the blood, the stockings, the bathroom and scrubbing her nails, the shower? Her smoking, the drink, taking pills?

15. The support of the designer at the White House? His advice, friendship, issues of decor, his comments on security, that she should go back to Boston and live in a fort? His later advice to the Johnsons?

16. The children, their age, Jackie preparing to tell them, talking gently, their father going to heaven, to be with Patrick? Whether he said goodbye? The reaction of the children?

17. Oswald on television, Ruby shooting him, Kennedy turning the television off, not to tell Jackie?

18. Her sitting with the coffin, the clergy present, the children, the Psalms and the themes of hope?

19. Jackie and her sense of history, the White House and its history, lived in by real people, not legends? The decor, the knickknacks, the expenses? Her comment that Jack
could buy votes but not paintings?

20. Jackie walking throughout the house, the different clothes, the picture of Mary Todd, the information about her auctioning the furniture? The range of dresses, the jewels? Playing Camelot? Her comments about Jack and his being led into the desert to be tempted, that he wasn’t perfect, that he was changing? The screenplay returning to the interview, the range of questions, interpretation, Jackie challenging him, upset, giving him information and statements, then denying that she said them? The glimpse of her editing? The character of the interviewer, impartial, his comments, upsetting Jackie without realising it?

21. The distinguished guest list, General De Gaulle, the security, the threat to him? The range of invitations? Jackie and her interactions with Valenti, to walk to the cathedral, changing her mind, change her mind again, doing her job? Giving this information to the guests when they arrived at the airport?

22. The tribute to agent Hill, and his interventions in Dallas?

23. Jackie looking out the car window, asking what was real, what was performance, the Kennedys were not most people?

24. The birthday party for John, three?

25. Robert Kennedy, his reflection about what legacy the Kennedys had left? What had been accomplished? Johnson inheriting this legacy? Civil rights, space, Vietnam…? That
they were seen as the beautiful people, but were ridiculous?

26. The packing sequences, Jackie and the dresses, the men and the cases, her ring being stuck on her finger?

27. The processions, the transfers to the Capitol, from the Capitol to the cathedral, the marchers?

28. The interviewer telling Jackie that she had made her mark on the country, in her mourning, with the children, with her dignity and majesty, and the image of the mother of the country?

29. Moving out, Lady Bird and new designs? Material going to storage? The plaque on the door that the Kennedys had lived there?

30. Images of dance, happiness, Camelot, knights, ideals and a better world?

31. The role of the priest? The close-ups, the discussions, walking? The priest and his manner, Irish? The talk as a kind of confession? His advice, the question of why we are here, that God does not like stories but truth? The Jackie was seeking sympathy, asking whether the priest was listening? His thinking that he was? Jackie stating that God was cruel, the priest saying that it was getting into trouble areas? His declaration that God was love, everywhere? Jackie asking was God in the bullet, in her, his agreeing? Her asking what she did to deserve this? Her comment of not spending nights with JFK, there was more to vows than love? Issues of power, power and love and sexuality? Her asking what men were thinking of her, the priest replying compassion, maybe desire? Her saying that she made men smile? The priest advising that she should take comfort in the memories? Her saying that she couldn’t because they were mixed with all the other memories?

32. Jackie reflecting with the priest, night thoughts, that she should have been a shop girl, married somebody ordinary? The priest telling her the parable of the man born blind, so that the works of God would be revealed in him? That Jackie was chosen, that the works of God were to be revealed in her?

33. Her comment that she wanted to die, and be with her husband? The priest’s comments on search, meaning, that there are no answers, or you accept this – or kill yourself and stop searching? Jackie despising the weakness of those who kill themselves? The priest’s comment and encouragement about turning the lights off every night as he did, staring into the dark, asking if that is all there is, then waking up, having a coffee? That she had done this that morning? Her asking why bother and he answering because we do, and we keep going? It being just enough for us?

34. The re-interring of the bodies of the children, the prayer, the hope, the sadness?

35. American script, Chilean director, American story?