On April 17 in 1865, Mary Surratt was arrested for conspiracy to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln. In 2011 on that date, the American Film Company released its first film, The Conspirator. The movie is about Mary Surratt and directed by Robert Redford and starring Robin Wright, James McAvoy, Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Kline, Danny Huston, and Tom Wilkinson.
From a young age, we learn the name of John Wilkes Booth. We know he is the man who shot Abraham Lincoln. His chase and capture are recounted in the recent book, Manhunt
But the names of the others who allegedly conspired with Booth are less heard: Lewis Powell, George Atzerodt, David Herold, John Surratt, and Mary Surratt. A number of additional people were also arrested and convicted of crimes, including Dr. Samuel Mudd.
Mary Surratt: “The Conspirator”
The Conspirator centers exclusively on one of the more interesting accused conspirators, Mary Surratt. In doing so, Redford maintains focus in what might otherwise be an unwieldy long story.
We may be curious to know more about the other conspirators and to spend a few minutes with Lincoln before he is killed. But Redford keeps the story tight and aimed on the stoic Surratt (Wright) and her passionate lawyer Frederick Aiken (McAvoy), following Aiken as he struggles with his responsibility to defend Surratt.
Currently on the Rotten Tomatoes website, the critics rating for The Conspirator is 56% and the audience rating is a much-higher 71%, which makes sense. The movie is not an exciting historical romp like The King’s Speech (2010), and the story is told somewhat conventionally. But it is an interesting story that audience members may appreciate more than critics, who might want a film that is more daring.
Still, the fine acting and look of the film make it well above a History Channel special. All of the principal actors do a very good job (although Justin Long seems out of his time period even with the goofy mustache). And, as in Redford’s A River Runs Through It (1992), the lighting effects seem like another character, making for numerous scenes bathed in beautiful clean natural sunlight.
Overall, the movie is engaging and addresses a lesser known aspect of the Lincoln assassination. I will not reveal how everything comes out, but during the prosecution of Mary Surratt and even until today, there are still questions about whether or not she had any involvement in the conspiracy of which she was accused.
Parallels With Modern Issues
Others have noticed that the movie has some parallels to the modern debate about military tribunals. Kevin Kline’s Secretary of War Edwin Stanton spouts concerns that echo in our Age of Terrorism. Anthony Lane at The New Yorker believes that Redford belabored the parallels with today’s debates about military trials for accused terrorists a little too much.
By contrast, I did not think the parallels were overdone. Instead, the movie would have been much more topical and challenging for viewers had it been released several years ago instead of in 2011. Just as more people spoke up on Mary Surratt’s behalf years after her trial, this aspect of the movie seems a little late too. Yet, the issue is still topical.
Another contemporary issue underlying The Conspirator is how innocent persons accused of outrageous crimes may be convicted or almost convicted of crimes they did not do. The Death Penalty Information Center website notes that since 1973, there have been more than one hundred people released from death row because of evidence of their innocence.
Additionally, there are a number of people who have been executed with genuine questions remaining about whether they were innocent. One may debate the extent of the problem and the exact number of condemned innocent who spent years on death row, but the clear risk is certainly troubling. Even in civilian trials with our current constitutional protections, the innocent still may be convicted and condemned, and this realization has contributed to several states eliminating capital punishment in recent years.
Conclusion
Conclusion? Conspirator is a well-made straightforward drama about an important event in American history. Although it may not be one of the top few movies of the year, it is a period courtroom drama in a league with Amistad (1997) as less than awe-inspiring but nonetheless engaging, educational, entertaining, and worth your time.
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What did you think of The Conspirator? Leave a comment.
(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)
I really enjoyed this movie. Since I was in early elementary school, I have always had an interest in the Civil War. Once I hit high school I started diving into the things they don’t teach you in high school, and discovered the things done by the Federal government that were unconstitutional. It was pretty eye opening, and I really enjoyed learning about it (ask my classmates; during a trip to Washington DC I came out of the Supreme Court gift shop with a book on the Supreme Court in the Civil War happy as could be). I never went too far into the full history of the Constitution, but I am very familiar with the interpretations leading up to and during the Civil War. I was dumbfounded by Lincoln’s suspension of the Writ and if secession was really constitutional or not. I actually gave a report in 11th grade on why it was legal.
I did seriously wish I had brought my anti-anxiety medication to take during “The Conspirator.” Edwin Stanton did not fail to make me squirm in my seat. Even though I knew what the tribunal would rule and what “rules” they had, it was a very powerful, very gripping portrayal of the trial. Makes me wonder what the trial of Jefferson Davis would have been like.
So, in conclusion of my little essay here, I loved the movie (I agree, the casting of Justin Long was a bit off, but Colm Meaney was a great choice even though he’ll always be Miles O’Brian from Star Trek TNG and DS9). The similarities to today’s military tribunals couldn’t be ignored (my dad was impressed with that, whereas I was on a rant about the law or lack thereof of the 1860’s). It was very well done and I cannot wait to own it on DVD.
I agree that Kevin Kline did a good job as Edwin Stanton in making the viewers squirm a little bit. And Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus is always a reminder to me that even the best of presidents make mistakes (although I’d like to hear your report!). Along those lines, considering the constraints of movie length, the movie did a decent job of conveying some of the time period’s anxiety — as the Civil War was not yet over — and how that anxiety led to some bad decisions. Of course, fear does not excuse bad decisions, but it helps us understand how they are made. I also thought the movie was not overly political. As the New Yorker review linked above points out, one may interpret the movie and the ending in a number of ways. Thanks for the comment!