Interview with the Assassin 2002

Ron Kobeleski, an unemployed cameraman living a life of monotony, finds his world turned upside down when he learns a shocking secret from his reclusive neighbor, Walter Ohlinger. Walter, a retired Marine facing terminal cancer, confesses that he, rather than Lee Harvey Oswald, was the one who fired the fatal shot that assassinated President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. This revelation sends Kobeleski into a tailspin, as he discovers that the conspiracy theory surrounding a second shooter on the grassy knoll holds a startling grain of truth—Ohlinger is claiming to be that gunman. In support of his startling declaration, Ohlinger shows Kobeleski a spent casing from the rifle he allegedly used, leaving the cameraman both intrigued and bewildered.

At first, Kobeleski is filled with doubt and demands solid evidence. Accompanying Ohlinger on his quest to validate his claims, they meet various individuals who appear to bolster Ohlinger’s narrative. Meanwhile, others, including his ex-wife, label him a lunatic and a fraud, intensifying the conflict for Kobeleski as he grapples with the weight of Ohlinger’s confession against the looming possibility that it might just be a desperate last effort to establish a legacy.

The dramatic arc of the film reaches its peak when Ohlinger attempts to assassinate the current president, leading to a gripping confrontation at his home. In a moment of self-preservation, Kobeleski is forced to take extreme action. The fallout from this encounter is severe; Kobeleski is arrested and faces charges as an accomplice in the assassination attempt, resulting in a three-year prison sentence. In a heart-wrenching interview with a journalist just before his incarceration, he admits, > “telling my side of the story won’t help me at all.” The film’s closing moments are haunting, revealing that Kobeleski meets a tragic fate behind bars.

The unique storytelling approach further immerses the audience, as the cinematography mimics Ron Kobeleski’s point of view, giving the impression that he is documenting these events firsthand. Occasionally, the audience gets flashes of Dylan Haggerty, the talented actor who brings Kobeleski’s complex journey to life, enriching the narrative with an emotional depth that resonates throughout the film.