The assassination of John F Kennedy sent shock waves throughout the world and the story has been relayed many times on film, Oliver Stone’s JFK being the most prominent depiction. However, the president’s wife, who was close enough to hear the bullet pass through the president’s skull, had yet to have her story told on the big screen.
The biopic Jackie focuses on the late First Lady, Jackie Kennedy (Natalie Portman), the style icon who was known for her warm personality and for being part of the all-American family, The Kennedys. The film is directed by Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larrain, who was recently notable for 2016’s The Club, but who is otherwise an unknown director. Larrain rose to the challenge of taking on a biopic about a notable figure in history and succeeds with a beautiful masterpiece.
The film starts in 1963, a week after the death of the president, when Jackie gives a famous interview at the Kennedy house. It’s her first interview since her husband’s death, with journalist Theodore H White (Billy Crudup) from Life magazine. Shortly into the interview, White realises that it’s Jackie who has the upper hand as she continues to manipulate him. Jackie’s significantly strong will proves that she isn’t just JFK’s now widowed wife, and she manipulates the journalist into publishing what she says.
It’s quickly clear that this is no ordinary biopic. Sentimentality is sparse, and is instead replaced with the audience being plunged into the same darkness that Jackie faced. The film, however, succeeds in depicting Jackie not as superficial, but as a strong mother figure to a country in times of grief.
The fascinating part of the film is the parallel universe of living a life dedicated to politics. The president’s life isn’t seen as that of a human, but as a life that answers to the high powers of the state, who see JFK as just an object. The political wheel keeps turning, even in a time of great loss. Jackie soon points this out, telling the reporter that her husband ‘’will soon just be one of those oil paintings.’’
Natalie Portman gives a tantalising performance as Jackie Kennedy; she delivers the role with grace and poise, and her mesmerising performance leaves you struggling to take your eyes off her. Although, Jackie does speak with a softly spoken accent that, unfortunately, some viewers may struggle to hear. The accent could be considered too arty on Portman’s part, but the Oscar-nominated performance still remains a strong one.
Surprisingly, the standout of the film isn’t on screen but is instead the camera work. Stephane Fontaine (A Prophet, Captain Fantastic) produces excellent cinematography, his close up shots of Jackie throughout make you feel emotionally invested and makes you feel less of an onlooker and more invested in the character.
The score is composed by Mica Levi (Under the Skin), and is something that you would not expect from a political biopic. It is haunting and ominous, and can only be compared to a score that you would find in a thriller. The music adds a mixture of tension and grief, which only complements this magnificent work of art.
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