The Conspirator

Conspire or Not to Conspire?
The Conspirator, PG-13, *****Plus, James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood. Roadside Attractions film. Producer The American Film Company. Director Robert Redford. Length: 122 minutes.

“The Conspirator” captures the sadness and tragedy of the Civil War. As the film begins, the war is about over. General Lee has surrendered. Of course, in those times, the news did not travel very fast.
The division and prejudice are shown from the North and the South. Robert Redford directed this film with realism. Each actor engulfs his/her role and becomes that particular individual with all of the characteristics of the time period. The dialogue and actions all appear to be straight out of the 1860’s. This enhances this sad period of time, and the story being revealed brings harsh realism to the audience.
The audience will feel as if they are living in the year 1865.
This film was released on the anniversary of Lincoln’s assignation – April 15, 1865. Sometimes the academy dismisses films opening early in the year. Let us hope the Academy does not forget about this superb time period film.
The story is about Mary Surratt (Robin Wright). She is accused of being a conspirator along with others to assassinate President Lincoln. She was the first woman to be executed by the United States.
I am ashamed to admit that I did not know much about Mary Surratt, and the military tribunal that took place. I have since read as much as I can find in order to learn more about this part of history.
The film begins on the battle field where Frederick Akien (James McAvoy) is wounded along with one of his comrades. Akien is the commander of the troops. He orders his men to help a wounded soldier before they try to assist Akien. This demonstrates the compassion Akien has for others and his leadership skills. Even though it is war and lots of hard feelings have occurred, Akien still has empathy in his heart.
The acting throughout the film is first-rate. In 1865 seven men and one woman are arrested after the death of President Lincoln. The President was killed, Secretary of State Seward was wounded, and the-would be assassin trying to kill Vice-President Andrew Johnson lost his nerve and fled the premises.
Secretary of State Seward was stabbed during the assassination attempt. Luckily, he lived through the ordeal. President Lincoln died shortly after being shot in the head at Ford’s Theater in Washington.
Robin Wright as Mary Surratt, Kevin Kline as Secretary Stanton, Tom Wilkinson as Reverdy Johnson, James McAvory as Frederick Aiken and Rachel Wood as Anna Surratt all immerse themselves in the time period, dialogue, and characters. It is difficult to imagine the perfect metamorphosis that takes place within the performance of the actors without viewing the film. Again, they totally become the individual they are portraying.
Frederick Aiken must take over defending Mary Surratt, because Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) has too many close ties to the south. Johnson realizes his participation will jeopardize her chances of getting a fair trial. Aiken is very reluctant to take the case. Unenthusiastically, he agrees. What he discovers gives him a new outlook on life. Aiken was only 27 years old when he took the case. He received many lessons in politics and deals taking place behind closed doors. Maybe that is why he ended up being the first editor for the Washington Post.
Many of the conspirators rented rooms at the boarding house owned by Mary Surratt. However, much of the evidence pointed toward her son as a possible conspirator. Was Mary Surratt protecting her son John (Johnny Simmons)? John was later tried by a civilian court. The court could not agree on a verdict. Did John allow his mother to take the fall? One compelling bit of information really seemed to seal the deal on her guilt. Was the testimony true?
Even Mary’s daughter testified, but to no avail. I highly recommend this film for historical information, thought provoking ideas, and a portion of history during a very sad time. A film turns out to be great when it is based on facts, and it gives the audience enjoyment through entertainment.
This film does it all. It has action, drama, cinematography, directing, acting, and excellent story telling. With an educational history narrative and solid film making, it takes the viewer back to 1856 during a time period when over 600,000 lives ended in tragedy, and a nation was divided. Do not miss it.
It leaves the audience with a thought provoking mindset. Some believe Mary Surratt was guilty while others believe she was innocent. The Producers - The American Film Company is dedicated to making accurate movies about American History. It is a great film for everybody including schools.