THE CONSPIRATOR
US, 2010, 122 minutes. Colour.
James Mc Avoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, Justin Long, Danny Huston, James Badge Dale, Colm Meaney, Alexis Bledel, Johnny Simmons, Toby Kebbell, John Cullum, Stephen Root, Norman Reedus, Shea Whigham.
Directed by Robert Redford.
For those who enjoy a well-written and well-acted look back into history, especially if it involves a court case.
The conspirator in questions is Mary Surratt whose son, John, was one of the rebel group led by John Wilkes Booth, who had planned to kidnap the president and hold him to ransom in exchange for the freedom of Southern prisoners. John Wilkes Booth famously shot Abraham Lincoln during a performance at the Ford Theatre in Washington in April 1865. There were plans to attack the Vice President as well as the Secretary of State. The conspirators met at the boarding house run by Mary Surratt. She was arrested as being party to the plot and was tried in a military court.
The film is also a portrait of Frederick Aiken, the young lawyer who had severed in the Union Army, who was deputed to defend Mary Surratt, something he found abhorrent in the aftermath of what he experienced in fighting and in the hostile atmosphere in the North after the assassination. He assumed her guilty. He does his duty and discovers the case is not so open and shut, that the authorities, especially the Secretary for War, and the army chiefs, had really made up their minds that, allegedly, to satisfy public opinion against the conspirators, and to ensure that the South would not attack the North in any way, Mary Surratt had to be executed.
While the film follows the detail of the trial, it also shows the bigotry in national feeling after such a politically violent event as well as the repercussion on the young lawyer and his personal and professional integrity.
The film has been directed by Robert Redford who obviously has strong views on partisan stances in the name of patriotism. This was seen in his Lions for Lambs which did not succeed with critics or the public, looking as it did into American involvement in Afghanistan and the attitudes of authorities and the media. It is clear in The Conspirator that audiences should be remembering the feeling after the September 11th attacks in 2001 and the hostile attitudes to people from the Middle East and to Muslims. The trial sequences here should make audiences reflect on cases at Guantanamo Bay.
But, putting those considerations aside, we can enjoy The Conspirator as a drama that takes us back to the Civil War and its aftermath.
James Mc Evoy has emerged as a versatile actor in very different films, Narnia, Wanted, The Last Station. He is Frederick Aiken. Robin Wright gives a quietly intense and dignified performance as Mary Surratt. Danny Huston is the prosecutor and Colm Meaney, the overbearing and biased president of the court, over-ruling all Aiken’s objections. There is also a strong performance from Kevin Kline as the implacable Secretary for War, from Evan Rachel Wood as Anna Surratt and Stephen Root as a turncoat witness.
Some critics have complained that The Conspirator is simply a filmed history lesson. It is – but it is much more.
1. Themes of war, justice, civil rights? In the 19th century? For the 21st century?
2. Robert Redford, his work, his career, liberal causes, the critique of government?
3. The relevance of the story and the issues to the 21st century, after 11 September, 2001, Guantanamo Bay?
4. Audience knowledge of the civil war, interest? Sympathies with Union or Confederacy? The film and the sympathies with the North? Scenes of battle? Fred and his being wounded, his courage, getting help for his friends? The aftermath?
5. Post-civil war United States, the attitude of the North? The South in defeat? Loyalties, causes, issues taken personally? The North and its victory, vindictive or not? Wanting to maintain a peace?
6. The assassination of Abraham Lincoln, visualised, the stabbing of Secretary Seward, the theatre, the play and performance, John Wilkes Booth, going on stage, the reaction of the cast, the shooting, the Virginia motto, ‘Death to Tyrants’? His escape? The confusion amongst the people, tending to Lincoln, getting him out of the theatre?
7. Feeling in the North against the conspirators, anger, the rush to an emotional response, the judgments, the hasty trials, the desire for executions? The military trial for the conspirators? According to the constitution or not? The pursuit of the conspirators, the barn, John Wilkes Booth, his being shot? The arrest of the others?
8. Freddie and his age, his legal career, the bonds with his friends, fighting in the war, the patronage of Senator Johnson? The interest in Secretary Stanton, Sarah and his return from the war, the hopes for marriage? The visits to the clubs, his lifestyle? A new life after the war?
9. The senator, his status, coming from Maryland, suspicions? His service for the United States? His feeling he should stand down in the trial of Mary Surratt? Asking Freddie to take it up? His sayings, Freddie quoting them? The later visit of Secretary Stanton, their disagreement, the effect on Freddie?
10. The arrest of Mary Surratt, her appearance, dressed in black, the boarding house, the meetings, the assumptions of guilt about her knowledge of the conspiracy? The decision for her to have a military trial? Keeping her in solitary? The attitude of the court, the judgment? Her treatment in prison? Freddie and his distaste at having to defend her? His visits, his abruptness? The reaction of his friends? The reaction of Sarah? Their attending the trial?
11. The task of defending Mary Surratt, moving from unwilling to accepting? His talks with Mary, his assumptions? His visiting Anna, the experience in the house, her being under siege? The demonstrators against her? Finding the ticket, in court, his attempts to defend Mary, Joseph Holt and his skill? Hunter and his unjust judgments, overruling objections? Freddie and his temptation to give up, his not giving up, talking to Anna, talking to Mary, the plea for the stay of execution? The discussions with Holt? His failing in his appeal? Being overruled by Stanton and the president?
12. Mary Surratt’s story, from the South, her drunken husband, his death, her love for John and Anna, her Catholic background, her rosary beads? The visits to the house, her explanations, yet trying to save her son, her outbursts at Anna being put on the stand? John Lloyd and his false testimony? Her outburst? Freddie and getting Anna to testify, Hunter allowing Mary to see her daughter? The testimony of the boarder and his lies, ingratiating himself with the court? The captain, his change of testimony on oath? The background of John Surratt, studying of Divinity, his friends, with John Wilkes Booth, devotion to the South? His tearing Anna’s photo when she had a crush on Booth? The issue of the motto of Virginia?
13. Joseph Halt, his working with Stanton, in the court, his skill at cross-examination, his acknowledging Freddie? The visit to Stanton, Stanton’s demands? The issue of the verdict? The committee vote, Holt accepting this?
14. Hunter, the military background, the members of the tribunal, his bias, his peremptory manner, overruling the objections?
15. The other accused, Payne and the story of his visit, Mary Surratt needing classes? Guilt? The others accused including Doctor Mudd?
16. Freddie, his stances, public opinion, his being cut from the club, the black American having to warn him? Wanting Sarah to wait for him, her not staying? His friends, the songs, their puzzle? His attempt to talk to Stanton?
17. The verdict, the reactions, Anna and her reaction?
18. The options, Freddie going to the judge, arguing his case, the judge listening to him, the issuing of the writ of habeas corpus, going to Stanton? Stanton’s refuting him? Ordering the execution, getting the president’s signature?
19. The Execution itself, the setting up of the gallows, the four accused, the coffins, going to onto the stand? The detail of the execution? The crowd and the reaction?
20. Freddie, going to visit John Surratt in prison, offering him the Rosary, John Surratt urging Freddie to keep it, a better son than he was? The irony of Surratt being freed?
21. The aftermath? The changes in military and civil trials for civilians? Freddie and his becoming the editor of the Washington Post? An interesting history lesson, dramatised?
