Movie Review: The Conspirator
The Conspirator is produced by the American Film Company and directed by Robort Redford; who I didn’t know was still alive, but I guess he’s not THAT old, right? It has James McAvoy at its center as lawyer Frederick Aiken. McAvoy did a phenomenal job portraying this character. In fact, all of the acting in this film was wonderful.
The story is about the people who were part of the Lincoln assassination. John Wilkes Booth got the easy way out and was shot in a barn. The others, however, were not so fortunate. One of those “conspirators” was a woman by the name of Mary E. Surratt. She owned the boarding house that Booth and company made their plans in. The second strike against her was that her son was Booth’s right hand man, and the only known conspirator that escaped.
After she was arrested, she was brought before a military tribunal. You know, the law stating that everyone is entitled to a jury of their peers? There was no such thing at the 
time, and what came next was basically the biggest setup in the judicial system to that point. The judges all went into it either believing she was guilty or not caring if she was. There was one point in the movie where Aiken goes to the secretary of war and tries to convince him that Mary is innocent and shouldn’t be punished for her son’s crimes. The secretary replies that he doesn’t care who is guilty, but would be happy with the hanging of either one.
This movie is thick with themes in about the rights of the people, especially the idea of innocent until proven guilty. Aiken fights desperately for Mary Surratt, only to be thwarted at every turn. We also see him learn to not jump to conclusions.
There are a lot of great ideas in this story that have not been watered down by having to make it “politically correct.” That is why I loved this movie as much as I did. One of my biggest issues with historical films is their attempt to make the story politically correct. There were good and bad people on both sides of the Civil War, just as there are good and bad people everywhere. They portrayed the good and bad people from both sides very well, instead of making the “right” people look full of wisdom and compassionate perfection.
I’ll let you watch this movie and decide for yourself what you think. The story is one that I’d never heard before and, I believe, it will both anger you and inspire you.
What movies have inspired you or changed your way of thinking? What movie would you like to see reviewed next?
-Katherine Korpi
ORUeAcademy 
This was a great movie! My husband and I are about to open a bed and breakfast just across the river from Garrett’s Farm where John Wilkes Booth died. The property is the birthplace of James Madison. Just this week I have confirmed that the detachment that pursued Booth and Harold stopped at the property and ate and slept there.
bellegroveatportconway
February 14, 2012
Belle Grove,
Thank you for reading and for commenting!That’s extremely interesting.. Good luck on your new business venture!
ORU eAcademy
ORU eAcademy
February 14, 2012