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RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy

Name: RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy
Director: Shane O'Sullivan
Released: 2007
Duration: 139 min

Representation Score

4.7/10

Fair

2007

Director

Shane O'Sullivan

Runtime

139 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

RFK Must Die is a historical deconstruction that prioritizes the interrogation of power over demographic breadth. It functions as a postmodern investigation into institutional truth rather than a vehicle for characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity. The film's strength lies in its systemic critique of American political institutions. By questioning the official narratives provided by the state, it offers a complex view of institutional morality. However, the documentary lacks intentionality regarding identity-based categories. It remains bound by the historical constraints of the 1960s, resulting in low scores for gender, race, and LGBTQ+ representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on the political landscape and criminal investigation of 1968. There are no LGBTQ+ characters or themes present.

How does RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy portray gender?

Limited

The story centers on male political figures and law enforcement. Sandra Serrano provides a key female perspective, but the overall structure emphasizes traditional masculine power dynamics.

How racially and ethnically diverse is RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy?

Fair

Archival footage reflects the racial demographics of the 1960s American political establishment. Munir Sirhan adds a non-Western perspective, but the focus remains on the Anglo-American context.

How does RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy represent religion and culture?

Good

The documentary critiques traditional Western institutions and state-sanctioned truths. It explores potential corruption within intelligence agencies and organized crime to challenge official histories.

Does RFK Must Die: The Assassination of Bobby Kennedy include disability representation?

Limited

The film examines psychological states and hypnotic programming theories through a forensic lens. However, it lacks a nuanced exploration of neurodivergence or characters with lived experiences of disability.

Present on Screen

Provides a strong systemic critique of Western institutions and state-sanctioned narratives.
Includes diverse perspectives through witnesses like Munir Sirhan and Sandra Serrano.
Effectively deconstructs established historical narratives through investigative filmmaking.

Limited or Absent

Lacks intentionality in representing diverse identities beyond the historical record.
The narrative remains heavily centered on traditional masculine power dynamics.
Does not provide nuanced explorations of neurodivergence or disability.

Official Synopsis

A new investigative documentary exploring the controversies surrounding the assassination of Bobby Kennedy on June 5, 1968 as he looked set to challenge Nixon for the White House. Munir Sirhan tells how his brother Sirhan has never been able to remember the shooting. Sandra Serrano speaks for the first time in forty years about the girl in the polka-dot dress fleeing the scene, yelling "We shot him! We shot him!" And Dr. Herbert Spiegel of Columbia University describes how Sirhan was hypnotically programmed to kill Robert Kennedy.

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