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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1964
Runtime1h 16m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationNR
GenresDrama, Documentary
Votes—
DirectorLeo Hurwitz
WritersLeo Hurwitz, Brice Howard
TypeFeature Film
RatingNot rated yet
Cast4 credited
Also Known AsAn Essay on Death: A Memorial to John F. Kennedy
About An Essay on Death: A Memorial to John F. Kennedy
In 1964, National Educational Television decided to make a program as a memorial to President Kennedy. Since he had been assassinated just a year before, it seemed unnecessary to recite the events of his death again. Executive Producer, Brice Howard, discussed with Hurwitz the possibility of making a film for television that, instead of engaging the assassination head on, would deal with the inevitablity of mortality and its trauma. Essay On Death uses a story of a camping trip by a father and son to weave the thoughts about death that intercede in our everyday affairs. The commentary is made up of writings, ancient and modern, on the life and death. Beautifully realized, it succeeds at a task that mainstream television rarely attempts.
Directed by Leo Hurwitz, An Essay on Death: A Memorial to John F. Kennedy leans on a strong ensemble — Christopher Plummer, Helen Gahagan, Morris Carnovsky — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1964.
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