Film: The Conspirator
Cast includes: Robin Wright (Beowulf), James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland), Evan Rachel Wood (The Wrestler), Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton), Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda)
Director: Robert Redford (Lions for Lambs)
Genre: Historical Drama (2010)
In brief: Frederick Aiken is a “true war hero”… a captain in the Union Army, “he had two horses shot out from under him” before the war was over. Aiken is planning to leave the army and return to civilian life as a lawyer, even though he has come to the attention of some important government officials, such as the Senator from Maryland, Reverdy Johnson. But suddenly the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the conspiracy against the Vice President and Secretary of State throws the country into mourning… and chaos. “One man did not execute this on his own,” many are saying. Even after most of the conspirators are rounded up or killed, the hunger for revenge remains. Mary Surratt, the mother of one of the conspirators, owns a boarding house in Washington. And she, too, is arrested for conspiring with her son and his friends.
Officially, Reverdy Johnson is to defend Mary Surratt in the military trial. But as a Southerner, he feels he needs to enlist the help of a Yankee. And so, he asks Aiken to play a central role. “You can’t be serious,” is Aiken’s reaction. But Johnson is serious… about defending the constitution. And the constitution spells out the rights of the accused. With virtually no trial experience, the 27-year-old Aiken attempts to defend a woman he, too, believes at first to be guilty. Along the way, however, he realizes that Mary Surratt is little more than a pawn in the government’s show of healing the nation. Even Aiken is branded as a traitor for his role in defending Surratt. But in Aiken’s view, it’s justice and the constitution that’s on trial here.
I applaud Robert Redford for bringing this story to life. The film is well worth seeing, not so much for the entertainment value as for the lesson in how our country let mass hysteria derail the principles spelled out in our constitution. Technically, it’s nicely done, and I can appreciate the thoughtful, cerebral look at this dark chapter in our nation’s history. But as entertainment, it may fall short for some viewers. If you’ve seen the trailer, there are few surprises and relatively little drama… which makes this slow-moving film seem a bit long. While it’s certainly true that we should be able to devote a couple of hours watching a relatively accurate lesson in US history, some will wish it were a bit more entertaining. Did Mary Surratt “build the nest that hatched the plot?” One thing for sure… her trial wasn’t a shining example of the rule of law. Sadly, it won’t be the last time hysteria rules.
2 popped kernels
Definitely worth seeing, despite the smaller helping of entertainment value than one might wish for
Popcorn Profile
Rated: PG-13
Primary Audience: Young adults
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Mainstream wide release
Mood: Somber
Tempo: In no hurry
Visual Style: Nicely varnished realism
Character Development: Engaging
Language: True to life
