Caught on tape!

It seems that having concrete "proof' of something tends to further increase suspicion. Who actually killed Caesar (crazy example, I realize)? We have no tangible proof of the murder but we unquestioningly believe what recorded history tell us. Instead, cases like JFK's assassination with tangible video evidence lead to hundreds of conspiracy theories, each wilder than the last. Though Delilo's take on things is highly fictionalized, when compared to many of the other theories and plots that exist alongside it, Libra seems very tame and rather believable. As we watched the clip in class today I couldn't help but realize that the first time I would have seen it, I would have been absolutely transfixed by the injured Kennedy and struggling Jackie O. The end frames in which Jackie clambered over the seat to tend to Kennedy in her signature pink suit would've definitely been my highlight, and like everyone else in the audience, I wouldn't give a second thought to much anything else. Watching the very same clip after reading Libra makes for a completely different experience altogether. Though the murder still remains the focal point of the clip, for me, the person of interest immediately shifted from JFK to Lee. Lee, to most people watching the clip, remains an infamous, static individual, known only for the murder. To us, Lee is a multidimensional character who we've seen grown up with his own share of struggles and principles. Watching his life culminate to this moment has us holding our breaths in an entirely different kind of anticipation as we try to see traces of the young man we've come to know personified through video. I guess in a sentence, watching the clip before Libra was like watching a documentary and watching after Libra was like watching a movie adaptation of the book.