Day 165: "Sic semper tyrannis! The South is avenged!"

When I was in high school, I was very interested in the inner workings of presidential assassinations.  I never knew about what happened in the days after.  Robert Redford's The Conspirator takes a close look at the military tribunal that decided the fate of three of the Lincoln assassination conspirators, and, specifically, accused conspirator Mary Surratt.  Mary Surratt owned and ran the boarding house where the actual conspirators met and devised their plan to kill President Lincoln, Vice President Johnson, and Secretary of State Seward.  The "trial" of Mary Surratt has gone down in history as one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in American history, and this movie tells that story brilliantly.  The country, still trying to bring the Civil War to a close, and in search of vengeance, railroaded Mrs. Surratt to a guilty verdict in lieu of her son, who had escaped and was in hiding.  Watching this, I was not unaware of the coincidences in events that surrounded (during and after) the Lincoln assassination and, more currently, the events of September 11, 2001.  Our county's need for vengeance overrode our rights for justice.  Robert Redford has created a brilliant docu-drama that puts into focus the tragedy of both Lincoln's murder and the rush to judgement of Mary Surratt.

James McAvoy heads up the cast as young attorney Frederick Aiken, a man who served the Union during the Civil War.  McAvoy give Aiken a wonderful sense of confusion and conflict in his dilemma: defend a woman who may have been an accessory to the assassination of the Commander-in-Chief of the country he loyally served and bled for.  He is a marvelous young actor.  Mary Surratt was played by veteran actress Robin Wright.  Wright plays Surratt as a woman who knows she is innocent, but refuses to give her family up in her stead.  This is possibly one of her best performances.  The remaining ensemble has Stephen Root, Kevin Kline, Justin Long, Alexis Bledel, Colm Meany, Danny Houston, and Tom Wilkinson in one of his best roles: Sen. Reverdy Johnson of Maryland.

The Conspiratoris a phenomenal, gripping drama about one of the most painful times in our nation's history.  Brilliantly told and amazingly acted throughout, this is one of the best courtroom dramas I have seen, let alone historical films.  Definitely worth the watch, do not overlook this movie as just another period, costume piece.  Everything about this film is great.  9.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!