As someone who has lived through decades of political turmoil and uncertainties, I can’t help but feel a sense of deja vu when I read about these recent assassinations and the ensuing questions about shadowy forces at work. The parallels with the 60s are eerie, to say the least. Back then, we had films like “The Parallax View” that reflected our collective fears and suspicions. Now, it seems, we’re seeing a resurgence of assassin yarns on the big screen and small.
The recent murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in Manhattan takes place following two attempts to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump over the summer.)
In July at Butler, Pennsylvania, an individual aiming to assassinate Trump was shot dead by one of Trump’s security personnel. Armed with a powerful rifle, this was the first attempt on Trump’s life. The second attempt, which took place in Florida, resulted in another high-caliber weapon being found and a suspect who is still alive, with a history of unusual political and business activities. This individual has been involved in matters such as volunteering for combat in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.
The main individual under investigation for the murder of Thompson is a wealthy, young tech genius. His future was filled with promise until he reportedly pulled out a so-called “ghost gun” in front of a New York hotel, which ended in the tragic loss of Thompson’s life.
50 years ago, Hollywood released “The Parallax View,” a movie that echoed the apprehensions of Americans who had witnessed an entire decade marked by the assassinations of significant liberal American figures, such as President John Kennedy, Senator Robert Kennedy, and civil rights leaders Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. From 1963 to 1968, these leaders were fatally shot by individuals acting alone.
On the opposite end of the political divide, Governor George Wallace, a presidential contender, managed to survive an assassination attempt, but was left with debilitating injuries that ultimately prevented him from running in the 1972 election.
Another day, another “lone assassin.”
The screenplay written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Giler for the movie adaptation of Loren Singer’s thriller novel received a nomination for a Writers Guild of America (WGA) award. Moreover, the film’s exceptional cinematography by Academy Award-winner Gordon Willis was honored with a top prize from the National Society of Film Critics for best cinematography.
Back then, Americans were confused and/or skeptical of the official versions of events.
The Warren Report, intended to resolve the doubts about JFK’s assassination, instead sparked a massive conspiracy theory, which later became the basis for the Singer novel and the Academy Award-winning film “JFK” directed by Oliver Stone. By 1997, this somber topic was humorously tackled in Richard Donner’s action-comedy “Conspiracy Theory.
Similar to the suspenseful John Frankenheimer film “The Manchurian Candidate,” which earned Angela Lansbury a Golden Globe and two Oscar nominations, “Parallax View” is driven by American concerns that our government and media might be withholding crucial information from us. The movie portrays a modern America where a school for assassins was operating unchecked, insidiously recruiting and manipulating vulnerable young men to carry out their covert, deadly orders.
Fast forward to 2024, and if someone were to ask the same question they did back then, it would be: Are there hidden powers guiding the actions of current political killers?
Last year, David Fincher directed “The Killer,” and this year, the critically praised television series “The Day of the Jackal” based on an assassin’s tale has been a hit.
We may not have the answers, but we have the movies and shows.
Which, if you believe the conspiracy theories, might be the whole point.
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2024-12-20 02:47