The Conspirator

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Katie C @RT09835492 2d I found this film surprisingly engaging. I am usually not a fan of long dramas, but The Conspirator managed to keep my attention for most of the time. The actors all did a great job, particularly James McAvoy and Robin Wright. The sets and clothing seemed appropriate for the time period, at least in my nonexpert opinion. Overall, I think the film did a good job of transporting the audience to the time period. I would say that is a worth a watch. The military court Mary Surratt was subjected to was illegal, unjust, and unconstitutional. The United States government should have never orchestrated such an unfair ruling. This movie definitely shown light on some extremely corrupt instances in our government's past. President Johnson and the Secretary of War are especially guilty. I believe the movie portrayed Mary fairly, but I don't believe she deserved the death penalty. I don't think Mary was entirely innocent, but her death was unjust. See more Nathen P @RT38256541 5d This is a movie that is about the trial of Mary Surratt being convicted of Conspiracy to the assassination of Lincoln. The beginning felt a little too long and slow, it felt that it could have been sped up faster, but the reason that it felt slow could be of all the necessary information for place setting for the movie. The Military Tribunal that was the court is kind of ironic because the Union saw the entire US as the US as the Confederacy saw two different countries, and with Tribunals being held against defendants are usually of people from another country, and this Military Tribunal was heavily outweighing Mrs. Surratt in the way she was treated, no sunlight, barely any food, and no life besides jail and court. In the end I was hoping the son would burst through the courtroom doors to save his mother, but this isn't Disney, rather the real account of what happened. This is probably the saddest part of the movie, as because he didn't show, she was put to death by hanging in public. See more Karissa P @RT47782563 6d The movie begins with a depiction of war, then Lincoln's assassination, then focuses on what happened in court and the issues regarding her trial. The right to a fair trial is a major legal principle in the movie. Mary Surratt was tried in a military court as a civilian. The movie shows how fear after Lincoln’s death caused the government to ignore due process and the presumption of innocence which is one of the major rights in our country. Through her lawyer we see how the system did not protect her rights The movie shows how fear and division after the war caused rights to be taken from the public There was not enough proof to say Mary Surratt was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt She was connected to people involved but that does not mean she planned the crime The movie shows that she was punished more for her connections than her actions Overall, the movie is interesting and shows how justice is affected by fear. This film is still relevant today as it can happen in present trials. See more Joe R @joe03314 6d The Conspirator was a very captivating movie about the trial of Mary Surratt, who owned the inn that John Wilkes Booth stayed at. She was charged with conspiring to kill President Lincoln. However, she did not have a fair trial, since there was no jury and the people deciding her guilt were military officers who fought against the South in the Civil War. Her lawyer got a writ of habeas corpus from a judge so that she could have a fair trial in civilian court, but the writ was denied by President Johnson since the Union was dealing with the South’s rebellion. It was explained in a way that made sense as someone who was not familiar with the concept before. I think that it is impossible to know definitively whether she was guilty or not, but from what the movie portrayed I would say she was innocent. I think she was depicted fairly since she wants to defend her family but cares about her own life and due process as well. See more Ryan R @RT64794504 6d I think the film was a good representation of how the event back then played out. I think one thing that stood out to me was the unfair trial that Mary had to go through. She didn't get the normal fair trial like everyone else is supposed to get. She didn't get the fair trial because she had to go in front of the military which were obviously not on her side from the start. The people she had to go infant of gave her no chance. I don't think Mary deserved the death penalty. I think that she could've known about the events before they took place, but I don't think she was planning and helping the boys out that did it. Even if she did know of the plans the boys had, I don't think she was given a fair enough chance to explain herself and her side of the story to the court. I think that if she was given the right to explain herself, then we could have heard her side and maybe after all she could have been trying to stop them from committing the crime in the first place, we will never know. See more Joe D @joe_dnklau 6d I thought this film was truly accurate to the time period it represents. I think that the film did not venture far from the true narrative it is choosing to explore. The acting by the characters, while not legendary, was significant and impactful to the storyline. Mary is accused of conspiracy, and that is legally accurate; it shows how different the time period was, as it used a tribunal trial instead of a typical jury. The film does a good job of showing how strong the thoughts were toward the dismissal of due process and the right to trial by jury. Frederick Aiken is portrayed very nicely, as he shows the audience how the standard legal protections could potentially put the defendant at a disadvantage. The legal conflict is clear and very admirable, as is shown in the emotion and execution of the movie. The movie presents Mary's innocence or guilt properly; it allows the audience to choose despite how accurate the events it portrays. Overall, it is effective and true! See more Read all reviews

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