The Conspirator
THE CONSPIRATOR
This is the debut film from the American Film Company- a production company who has made it their goal to produce history based films with a high level of accuracy, yet still be accessible. The story here concerns the trial of Mary E. Surratt, the lone female accused of being a conspirator in the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. This film had the pedigree to be a Best Picture contender - interesting, true, and rarely told story; brilliant ensemble cast; insane attention to detail, down to the buttons on the Union soldiers' jackets and the number of loops on the nooses. There was something that just kept it from coming together, though.
What I found interesting about this film is that, surprisingly enough, it covered something I was not actually familiar with, because for some odd reason, this part of Civil War and post-Civil War history was never something any of my teachers or professors ever felt the need to bring to students’ attentions. This film had three historical consultants, and it shows. The dialogue, costumes, and sets are top notch. There are still some liberties and inaccuracies of course, but the film is more competent in its goal for accuracy than it could have been. Being that Robert Redford directed this, it is a well-balanced film that is never one sided or thinly sketched. Also thanks to him, it tries to do more than just capture a certain historical event, as can be seen as a condemnation of current military tribunals against Islamic terrorists.
Probably the most significant thing about this film is its cast. Robin Wright is wonderful in a very nicely observed performance as Surratt. It's a shame she's not given higher regard as an actress because she has a lot of talent. James McAvoy is also quite strong as her lawyer Frederick Aiken. The rest of the cast is overflowing with many notable names, even if some of them just show up for a scene or two then leave. Among them are Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline,
This is the debut film from the American Film Company- a production company who has made it their goal to produce history based films with a high level of accuracy, yet still be accessible. The story here concerns the trial of Mary E. Surratt, the lone female accused of being a conspirator in the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. This film had the pedigree to be a Best Picture contender - interesting, true, and rarely told story; brilliant ensemble cast; insane attention to detail, down to the buttons on the Union soldiers' jackets and the number of loops on the nooses. There was something that just kept it from coming together, though.
What I found interesting about this film is that, surprisingly enough, it covered something I was not actually familiar with, because for some odd reason, this part of Civil War and post-Civil War history was never something any of my teachers or professors ever felt the need to bring to students’ attentions. This film had three historical consultants, and it shows. The dialogue, costumes, and sets are top notch. There are still some liberties and inaccuracies of course, but the film is more competent in its goal for accuracy than it could have been. Being that Robert Redford directed this, it is a well-balanced film that is never one sided or thinly sketched. Also thanks to him, it tries to do more than just capture a certain historical event, as can be seen as a condemnation of current military tribunals against Islamic terrorists.
Probably the most significant thing about this film is its cast. Robin Wright is wonderful in a very nicely observed performance as Surratt. It's a shame she's not given higher regard as an actress because she has a lot of talent. James McAvoy is also quite strong as her lawyer Frederick Aiken. The rest of the cast is overflowing with many notable names, even if some of them just show up for a scene or two then leave. Among them are Evan Rachel Wood, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline,