Jackie
2016 · Directed by Pablo Larraín
Original language: English
- drama
The story
An account of the days of First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, in the immediate aftermath of John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963.
What it’s like
Tight, restless close-ups shot on grainy 16mm-style film, with the camera pressed against faces and hands, and a score of dissonant, shuddering strings by Mica Levi that sounds like a held breath. The palette is muted: pale blues and greys in the White House, stained pinks and browns in the rooms after Dallas, with lamplight pooling in corridors late at night. Scenes are often long and interior, with the mood carried by silence, clinking teacups and the rustle of a dress. Its vibe is brittle, controlled grief, the feeling of watching someone perform composure while the floor gives way, best suited to a quiet evening alone or a focused, undistracted viewing. The pacing is deliberate and fragmented, circling back through memory and an interview frame, and the emotional arc follows a woman rebuilding her public image out of private devastation. Violence is brief but sharp: a single shocking shooting and blood-soaked aftermath, shown in glimpses rather than sustained gore, with pervasive anxiety and distress throughout. It suits viewers drawn to intimate character studies, American history told from inside the room, and performances that carry more than dialogue.
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