­­­The Conspirator (2010)
Certified: 14
Duration: 123 minutes
Directed by: Robert Redford
Starring: James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Justin Long, Evan Rachel Wood, Johnny Simmons, Toby Kebbell, Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline, Danny Huston, Alexis Bledel, Colm Meaney
KRS release

Robert Redford continues to use the film medium to criticise the government. While his Lions For Lambs (2007) was a work of fiction, here he takes on the events surrounding the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He delivers a meticulous film wuth a message that will reverberate well with modern audiences. Underneath all the costumes, wigs, fake moustaches, spectacles and strange talk lies a very contemporary film that is a metaphor for the perceived effect of the September 11 events. The latter led to a different stand on the government’s part towards justice, and Mr Redford is stating that the line between justice and revenge seem to be always lost.

The Conspirator opens in 1865 with the Civil War reaching its end. The soldiers are retuning home and peace is in the air. Much decorated Union officer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) is happy to be returning to his girlfriend Sarah Weston (Alexis Bledel). However, the country soon descends into turmoil when a group of Southern sympathisers set a plan in motion to bring down the government. This group includes actor John Wilkes Booth (Toby Kebbell), Lewis Payne (Norman Reedus) and young John Surratt (Johnny Simmons).

The outcome of all this is President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and the Secretary of State in critical condition.

This places increased power in the hands of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Kevin Kline) who sets up a witch hunt to capture all those involved and a military tribunal – instead of a civil court as is the norm – to try the accused. One of the latter is Mary Surratt (Robin Wright Penn), mother of John, who owns a boarding house and is accused of knowing the plan and helping the perpetrators. She is imprisoned while her daughter Anna (Evan Rachel Wood) is kept under house arrest. Meanwhile, her son John has disappeared.

US Senator Reverdy Jackson (Tom Wilkinson), a Southerner, wants Mary to be tried in front of a civilian court and gets Frederick, who is a lawyer, to defend her. As the case progresses, Frederick starts having doubts about his client as the military tribunal led by Major General David Hunter (Colm Meaney) is biased against Mrs Surratt and prosecutor Joseph Holt (Danny Huston) provides stumbling blocks. The result of the case seems to be already written in stone.

The film is a satisfying courtroom drama and history lesson. It is less effective in the way it develops its characters. This is one of the few times I saw James McAvoy act in such a restrained fashion. The story and character demanded this of him but while this is admirable, he lacks the usual flair and thus the film is empty of emotion and inspiration. He has one true carpet sweeping scene when he asks why he risked his life for freedom and for justice to now see that the court is not letting him exercise his freedom.

Robin Wright Penn is suitably haggard and mysterious and we long to see what exactly she was involved in, if she was involved in any conspiring at all! Evan Rachel Wood as Surrat’s daughter is a revelation as she gives this supporting character an added dimension. An unrecognisable Kevin Kline delivers a very strong performance as Senator Stanton.

Mr Redford’s direction is strong and concise and while he has a stately vision, he never lets the camera ramble or waste any preciousmoments. His only fault is that he delivers his message in a too heavy-handed manner, removing a lot of the drama that the film’s first two-thirds had amply built.

The subject material is quite complex and I found my curiosity about the events quite piqued. There is enough material here for a whole television series but the story does not suffer as Mr Redford knows how to tell a tale.