The Conspirator

The Conspirator is a 2011 film directed by Robert Redford about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the trial of the conspirators. Robin Wright stars as Mary Surratt, whose degree of culpability has remained controversial ever since 1865.

Tropes used in The Conspirator include:
  • The American Civil War
  • Author Tract: Robert Redford's view of the War on Terror and such practices as indefinite detention and military tribunals in Guantanamo Bay is very, very apparent.
    • Although, to be fair, he did state in an interview that he was as historically accurate as possible and that he added a scene that made Stanton look more sympathetic precisely because he knew he would be accused of this.
  • Based on a True Story: Very accurate in its depiction of events. The primary departure is in the character of Aiken. The real Aiken was 55 years old at the time of the trial and a Democratic Party activist that had strong Southern sympathies. He also had a co-counsel named John W. Clampitt who helped him at the trial after Johnson stepped aside. Additionally, there is little evidence that Stanton strong-armed the commission into returning a death sentence against Surratt.
  • Clear My Name: Mary Surratt.
  • Dawson Casting: 42-year-old (at the time) Norman Reedus played 21-year-old Lewis Payne
  • Disregard That Statement
  • Fake American: Scotsman James McAvoy as Frederick Aiken and Englishman Tom Wilkinson as Reverdy Johnson.
    • Also, Irishman Colm Meaney as David Hunter.
    • Yorkshireman Toby Kebbell as John Wilkes Booth.
  • Frame-Up / Framing the Guilty Party: Aiken believes that witnesses are fabricating their testimony and the government is coercing people into testifying against Surratt. But the film doesn't really take a position on whether or not Surratt actually knew of the murder plot on April 14.
  • Gaussian Girl/Holy Backlight: All over the place, especially in the courtroom scenes. If someone's wearing a white shirt, they're so glowy that it's kind of distracting.
  • Hanging Judge: Hanging Secretary of War, actually, in Edwin Stanton, who controlled the trial.
  • Hey, It's That Guy!: Practically every third character in this movie is a famous face.
  • Hope Spot: A writ of habeas corpus! Yay!
  • How Did You Know? I Didn't. Aiken learns information from his questioning in the first days of the case by accident.
  • I Did What I Had to Do: Stanton's view on the whole affair. For him, restoring the peace of the nation is more important than the rights of a few Rebels.
  • Kangaroo Court: The defense certainly believes the military tribunal that conducts the trial to be this.
  • Oh Crap: Aiken's reaction after several witnesses, including one of his own, lie on the stand.
  • Punch Clock Villain: Holt, the prosecutor.
  • Shown Their Work: Many things are amazingly accurate. If you look closely, you'll notice that Mary Surat's noose had less knots in it than the other conspirators. This was, in real-life, because the man tying the nooses expected her sentence to be commuted to life in prison at the last minute, and didn't want to waste his time making a proper noose that would never be used.
  • Smart People Play Chess: Sen. Johnson is seen working on a chess problem at his desk.
  • Wanted Poster: The real one, with the pictures of the actors substituted.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Secretary Stanton.
  • Wham! Line: Aiken, looking out of the window at the gallows: "There should only be three." Even if you know what's coming because of history, it's still a chilling moment.
  • What Happened to the Mouse?: So did Fred break up with that girlfriend of his or not?
    • One can presume that she broke up with him, perhaps.
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