The Conspirator
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: April 15, 2011
6.6
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 53 Ratings
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Mixed:
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Negative:
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User Reviews

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9
BhawkApr 26, 2011
I saw this film five days ago and I'm still haunted by the quiet power of this engaging film. Redford's careful and patient direction magically allows the film to take its time without ever feeling boring or stale. James McAvoy continues toI saw this film five days ago and I'm still haunted by the quiet power of this engaging film. Redford's careful and patient direction magically allows the film to take its time without ever feeling boring or stale. James McAvoy continues to grow into a passionate lead actor and Robin Wright should immediately jump to the top of a short list for a potential Best Supporting Actress nomination for this understated performance. However, the REAL star of this gorgeous looking film is Newton Thomas Sigel for his amazing cinematography which should garner him his first Oscar nomination for his work here.I don't know how he did it, but the muted colors, simulated natural lighting, and fluid camera movement gives the impeccably detailed sets, costumes, and make-up an uncanny look of historical realism that has lingered in my mind for days now. This is one that I look forward to seeing see a second time, and will be buying for my collection once it comes out on Blu-Rayâ… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
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9
MikeD301Apr 19, 2011
Excellent movie! Redford does a good job of presenting the story in a way that captures your interest and uses the Civil War time frame to convey the clear message that when military tribunals are used to trample on basic constitutionalExcellent movie! Redford does a good job of presenting the story in a way that captures your interest and uses the Civil War time frame to convey the clear message that when military tribunals are used to trample on basic constitutional rights everyone loses. Robin Wright and James McEvoy did an excellent job. I found the movie thoroughly engrossing and powerful.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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7
jeremypApr 16, 2011
If you like historical dramas you'll find this one interesting. Redford is showing us how, in 1865, the U.S. let it's legal system get subordinated to emotion and politics. Sound familiar? It's told in a straightforward way, and if you likeIf you like historical dramas you'll find this one interesting. Redford is showing us how, in 1865, the U.S. let it's legal system get subordinated to emotion and politics. Sound familiar? It's told in a straightforward way, and if you like the story and are interested in the subject you'll find it entertaining. History gets crunched-there were 2 lawyers defending Surrat, not one-and I feel Stanton gets air time as a way of showing a Cheney like parallel. The pace is slow but the story never lags. My two cents is that Surrat was aware of the assassination (if she was aware of the Lincoln kidnapping attempt it follows she knew plenty) and that she did not deserve to get treated any different than the men.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
nutterjrOct 19, 2011
An "I could not care less" storyline associated with Lincoln's assassination, turns out to be a powerful drama with some notable performances from Robin Wright and James McAvoy.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
beelzie14Nov 22, 2011
Good film - slow burner but I thought that the pacing was spot on for what is an historical period drama. I never even knew about the intrigue behind Lincoln's assassination so this was a learning experience for me. Great to see Robin WrightGood film - slow burner but I thought that the pacing was spot on for what is an historical period drama. I never even knew about the intrigue behind Lincoln's assassination so this was a learning experience for me. Great to see Robin Wright Penn and Toby Kebbell in a film again - great, undervalued actors of the current film generation.
Highly recommended.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
beechmiApr 21, 2011
This was one of the few movies I was looking forward to in 2011, and it delivered. Great story, great acting, and top notch directing make this one of the few 'good' movies of 2011. I highly recommend it!
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
NJWolfgangAug 16, 2011
This is a quiet film. It doesn't scream. It doesn't base itself on hystrionics. Visually it's as subdued as the script. Redford actually suceeds in underscoring the injustice and the way in which our legal system treats those theThis is a quiet film. It doesn't scream. It doesn't base itself on hystrionics. Visually it's as subdued as the script. Redford actually suceeds in underscoring the injustice and the way in which our legal system treats those the constitution is supposed to protect. I don't think this will ever be regarded as a great film but I do think that in the future it will be regarded as one of those rare moments when one has an experience. There is no way anyone can watch what is revealed and not be surprised by the turn events and the injustice. MacAvoy gives one of the his best performances. Robin Wright is restrained. Kline also turns in a excellent turn. Wilkinson seems to be lost in the shuffle which is rare for him or perhaps it's just that he isn't given much to do. There are lot of thankless roles in this film but it doesn't seem that Redford was as interested in creating memorable characters as he was in creating a memorable case of injustice. The direction is on point. The script seems at times to understate the motivations and the situation. The critics murdered this film and I suspect the public stayed away because of that and because perhaps everyone still wishes to believe that Mary Surratt probably would have pulled the trigger herself if she'd been in Booth's Theater that night. A shame there isn't more to work with in creating this piece.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
SweetlegsApr 25, 2011
this movie was very well done, it was based on some true events. from the beginning of the movie with the assignation you are glued to the screen. its harder to write reviews on movies that are true stories but this one was good. with moviesthis movie was very well done, it was based on some true events. from the beginning of the movie with the assignation you are glued to the screen. its harder to write reviews on movies that are true stories but this one was good. with movies at the start of the movie you wonder "do i care" the back story of this really makes you care you care about the characters and thats what makes this movie so good.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
KenMacriJun 1, 2011
Ken Macri

Robert Redfordâ
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
filmtrashreviewJun 8, 2011
It tells the story Mary Surratt very well with dazzling imagery and great dialog. To bad that the story itself at times isn't all the interesting. The film is the best that it could possibly be.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
SpangleOct 13, 2017
Criticized upon release for being stiff, stodgy, dated, and dull, Robert Redford's The Conspirator is hardly deserving of its reputation. Though perhaps a perfect film for history classes across America, The Conspirator is nonetheless aCriticized upon release for being stiff, stodgy, dated, and dull, Robert Redford's The Conspirator is hardly deserving of its reputation. Though perhaps a perfect film for history classes across America, The Conspirator is nonetheless a riveting tale about the miscarriage of justice. Though its story of a young lawyer being tasked with handling a case that has been pre-determined by the judge, jury, and prosecution, only for that young lawyer to slowly come to see their defendant as innocent, The Conspirator is a film that rises above its cliches through a truly engrossing true story and the powerful re-telling put together by Redford. Strong acting hardly hurts matters. Chilling in the corruption depicted and a reminder of the blood that has always been on the hands of the justice system, The Conspirator is a film that may not re-invent the courtroom drama genre, but often displays what can make the genre so impactful and thrilling.

Cited by many critics as a response the post-9/11 environment in which witch hunts were held for anybody believed to be even remotely connected to terrorism in the name of bringing the country together and allowing it to heal after tragedy, The Conspirator is actually so much more. Yes, it can apply to the post-9/11 world, but it can also apply to the red scare, the assassination of John F. Kennedy (or any other President), or even any number of seemingly "open-and-shut" cases that are argued in courtrooms across America. The Conspirator is a cry into the abyss for Americans to wake up and realize that, all too often, the truth is a foreign concept in the justice system. The pre-conceived notions of those involved and the desire of the prosecution to get a conviction at all costs is instead the order of business. There is no presumption of innocence, rather a guilty until proven guilty for many in the system with prosecutions willing to bend the rules to get the results they want and judges putting up blockades in front of the defense whenever they can. In The Conspirator, we see Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) experience this after being accused of being a co-conspirator in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. As the owner of the boarding house in which many meetings by the conspirators were held and the mother of a man who held many of those meetings, Mary's innocence is never under any question by those in power. However, in the name of getting vengeance and providing the country with the sacrificial lamb they so crave, Mary is railroaded. With her son John (Johnny Simmons) in hiding after the assassination, there is no way for Mary to get out. Given a military trial alongside the other alleged co-conspirators with no chance for appeal, a prosecution who threatens jail time for those who disrupt the narrative, and a Secretary of War willing to bend any rule and display his own influence to get somebody from the Surratt family to hang, Mary is dead the moment she walks into the courtroom. Tried in the court of public opinion to the point that the trial is merely a moot point, Mary Surratt's case is just one example of somebody who did not receive a fair trial. Though parallels to the absolute patriotism, desire to heal after tragedy, and trial-by-fire style are certainly in line with the post-9/11 world, it is in this railroading and tragedy that The Conspirator shows the flaws in the justice system. This trial is not one stuck in 1865. It is one that is happening now in the alleged hall of justice down the street. Somewhere in America, the justice system is failing somebody due to their lack of influence or the fact that nobody believes them as that truth does not match with their present narrative. The Conspirator is a film that shows these gaping holes have always been there and, in that, it is incredibly chilling and horrifying to watch. To see how little has changed with regard to vengeance being the point of the justice and prison system to this very day instead of finding the truth, The Conspirator stands as a solemn testament to the way in which America has strayed from the laws that govern her.

In telling this tragic tale of a woman left behind a system more concerned with revenge, The Conspirator is an incredibly powerful film. As we see the world of Mary Surratt crumble all around her and her family, there is incredible empathy. As we see the world of her attorney and war hero Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) collapse around for having the gall to defend her, our heart aches. While the film's narrative formula may be one that has been done before, Redford's ability to create emotional resonance, tension, and to leave the audience thoroughly appalled by this miscarriage of justice, is what makes The Conspirator such a gripping watch. It is a hard film to watch, but one that is necessary for every American to watch. The slow and methodical pacing only benefits this as we see the slow, pronounced descent into chaos occur before our eyes.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
DawdlingPoetNov 25, 2021
This is a thoughtful film. Its not got a great deal of action but it does well at making you imagine being in the accused shoes and see things from various characters points of view. Its about principles and justice.

I thought James MacAvoyThis is a thoughtful film. Its not got a great deal of action but it does well at making you imagine being in the accused shoes and see things from various characters points of view. Its about principles and justice.

I thought James MacAvoy did well in his role - it was interesting seeing him play such a role, defending the accused and I thought it was a surprisingly engrossing watch, one that I'd recommend to others.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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