O'Kennedy's Ireland
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DVD details
Actor: John F. KennedyDVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 72 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-02-13
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: S'more Entertainment
DVD Reviews of O'Kennedy's Ireland
DVD Review: O'Kennedy's Ireland
Summary: 2 Stars
The story of the Kennedy family is certainly one that has and will continue to transcend generations. America's political dynasty has the ability to reach across the aisle of Democrats and Republicans and strikes up in most people a sort of nobility feeling that often times is not associated with American politicians.
But the entire Kennedy mystique is not simply an American phenomenon. Rather, across the globe there is an interest in the history of the Kennedy family. But perhaps the only place to come as close as America in its love for the Kennedy story is none other than the Kennedy's homeland in Ireland.
The documentary O'Kennedy's Ireland is a rather short biographical look at President John F. Kennedy's Irish ancestry and the following that he commanded when he went to Ireland on a visit as President.
Kennedy in 1963 traveled to Ireland for a four day visit to his native land and was welcomed home lovingly like a rock star more so than a politician. Swarms of Irish men, women and children came out to all the stops Kennedy made hoping to gain a glimpse at the man that went from the Emerald Isle to the White House.
The film directed by Phillip E. Price and released in 2007 relies upon the rather raw and grainy footage left of Kennedy's trip to Ireland. Therefore, while some of the picture quality might not necessarily be the best, only time can be faulted for this.
What can be faulted about this movie, though, is the rather hokey history lesson that works its way into the film and dominates the majority of the film. Rather than focus on simply Kennedy's arrival and visit in Ireland and perhaps some dabbling into his family tree, the movie has an awful re-enactment of Irish history (even not directly related to Kennedy) thrown into the movie.
Though it is certainly important to gain a better appreciation for the history or Ireland and how it shaped Kennedy's background, the movie delves way to deeply into the most remote points of Irish history and the acting portraying historical events was reminiscent more of a Benny Hill spoof than anything that should be taken cinematographically serious.
There would be much more credence paid to this film if it looked more at Kennedy's immediate Irish familial ties and how perhaps they might have had an influence over the direction of Kennedy's life. Though we learn that Kennedy is a descendant of Brian Boru, we don't learn much about Kennedy's grandparents and aunts and uncles that may have stayed in Ireland and what ever might have happened to them.
The other thing that would have been nice to see in this film is a post-assassination look at Ireland and its reaction to Kennedy's death. The film does a nice job showing the wrap up speech of Kennedy at Shannon Airport when he says that he will be back to Ireland soon. Though certainly he could never have predicted his fate to come, a look at how perhaps the media portrayed the assassination or how the Irish that lined the streets cheering for and waving at Kennedy took the news of his passing would have provided for a more robust look at the topic.
O'Kennedy's Ireland barely skims the surface of the information that could have been presented relative to President Kennedy's visit to Ireland and his close-knit ties to the home of his ancestors. The topic is lost in the poorly produced and almost comedic historic re-enactments of Irish history and what the viewer is about to learn is really nothing more than could be found by a simply Internet search.
DVD Review: different look
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a surprising, different look at Kennedy's Ireland. Instead of just showing the places he visited in 1963, it focused on his ancestors, what they accomplished over the years. It contained much new information, plus excellent visuals. Well worth seeing.DVD Review: PRODUCTION MAKES THIS LESS THAN IT COULD BE
Summary: 3 Stars
For me the most valuable part of this disk is buried in the extras section, in the entire speech which then candidate JFK gave to clergy assembled in Houston in September 1960 regarding his religion and his public office. THis wide ranging and prophetic speech touches us today, particularly in the 2000 and 2004 elections, as Kennedy mentions Protestant ministers who tell their congregations (he says parishioners) for whom to vote. That is only one small example of the many important issues he raises in this landmark speech, in which he also mentions irresponsible press which seek to use irrelevant evidence to spread untruths. He could be speaking of our talk radio. At that time, long before state lotteries legitimized gambling, he mentions gambling as a moral issue as well.
Unfortunately on my copy of this disk, the speech at Rice is replaced by the speech at the Berlin Wall, which thus appears twice. It would be remarkable to think of any President since JFK appearing and speaking in such a hot spot with minimal if any security.
Speaking of security, he should have had in Dallas the excellent motorcasde escorts he had in Dublin instead of the guys who stayed out all night at Jack Rubies bar.
The reason I give this low stars is the horrible main feature. The vast bulk of it seems to be stock footage from some old mediaeval b-movies. I kept expecting them to break out singing and dancing like Men In Tights. Throughout the film seemed overexposed and washed out. And it just kept going on and on with Robert Vaughn (former Man From UNCLE) droning superficialities without much depth about Irish history. Every now and then a brief snippet of JFK could be heard, interrupted by something absolutely absurd or light hearted, or racist.
THis could have been much better simply presetning the entire speech to the Dial and every bit of footage or recording of Kennedy in Ireland. Instead we get heavily editted and separated film out of context. I wish they had kept the speeches and talks all in one piece, and run them straight through. Instead we get disconnected excerpts without context, mainly at the end.
Please watch JFK's health. At that time we had no idea how ill he really had been most of his adult life, with Addison's etc. It was a major effort for him to stand and to walk. And yet he brilliantly and without notes gives profound speeches impromptu. YOu see here how he did his excellent inaugural.
SPeaking of which, I felt it was a shame in the Home Movies section of the extras, that we see him horsing around with the family, etc., while the Inaugural ADdress runs in the background. We don't need to see him wiping his nose and chewing gum while saying those words. It would be better to run the tape of the INaugural address separately. FOr that we can thank Sounding the Trumpet: The Making of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address.
DVD Review: Time Capsule of JFK's 1963 visit to Ireland
Summary: 5 Stars
"O'Kennedy's Ireland" is a nostalgic and affectionate look back at President John F. Kennedy's historic four-day trip to the land of his ancestors in late June of 1963, just five months prior to his assassination. This documentary is as much about Irish history as it is about Kennedy's visit and skillfully weaves portions of the President's various speeches that he made during the visit with key historical events of the Emerald Isle; Robert Vaughn narrates.
I was particularly struck by the high quality of the news footage of the President during his trip. It looks fairly sharp and the colors are extremely good for news footage filmed over 40 years ago. Those portions of the documentary that are focused on Ireland's history often use theatrical recreations to tell the story, but there is some remarkable newsreel footage of the Easter Rising of 1916 in Dublin that, alone, is worth the price of the DVD. The releasing company for this DVD, S'more Entertainment, has included some interesting and historically important extras that make it a valuable audio/visual reference for those interested in our nation's 35th President. Here's the rundown of the special features:
1. Speeches (black & white):
Houston - 9/12/60
Rice University - 9/12/62
Berlin - 6/26/63
2. Newsreels (black & white):
James Meredith enrolls at University of Mississippi in Oxford - 9/30/62
Cuban Blockade announced - 10/22/62
Cuban Blockade lifted - 11/21/62
Test Ban Treaty announced at American University Graduation - 6/10/63
Test Ban Treaty Signed - 8/5/63
3. Kennedy Home Videos (color)
In particular, the President's announcement of the Cuban missile blockade is gripping and forceful. As a nine year old at the time, I was much too young to understand the implications of the crisis and now, looking back at this newsreel footage, am thankful that we had a leader who had the courage of his convictions to stop the delivery of Soviet missiles to Cuba. The disc closes with some silent home movies of the President, accompanied by audio of the famous speech "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" as the visuals unfurl.
Within the context of his abbreviated term as President of the United States of America, the four days that John F. Kennedy spent visiting Ireland in June of 1963 are largely forgotten. "O'Kennedy's Ireland" reminds us of that visit and is a tribute to both JFK and his Irish heritage . . . it's a valuable record of that historic trip and is a worthwhile view for those interested in John F. Kennedy and his ancestral ties to Ireland.
Description of O'Kennedy's Ireland
This historic and touching document follows President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, grandson proud Irish immigrants, on a 4-day visit to ancient family homeland. Landing at Dublin Airport on June 26, 1963, he visited both small hamlet and big city, entertaining all with warm words, and honest smile. To understand a man, especially one this complex, you must look at his past. Mere words shed only some light on the O'Kennedy clan's thousandyear-old history. To give you a true sense of from whence they came, we've carefully interwoven footage of accurate reenactments and rare vintage film reels. It's a colorful past, indeed. The kinship President Kennedy felt for Ireland and her people was evident. Following his gaze across rolling green hills and smiling, rose-cheeked faces, we see a boy returning to a familiar place. But, it's his words, especially those spoken during the Farewell Address at Shannon Airport, that reveal JFK's true emotions. In retrospect, his promise "be back," is bittersweet, for on November 22 that year, JFK was assassinated.General DVDs
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