The Conspirator focuses on the events immediately leading up to the assassination of President
Abraham Lincoln and the trial of those involved in the plot to kill him. In particular, Mary Surratt (played by Robin Wright), Southern sympathizer and owner of the boarding house where the conspirators lived and laid their plans. The questions are: what was Mary Surratt's role, what does the evidence say, and was punishment justified. As I watched this film, I became interested in the answers.

The unfairness of a military tribunal is made clear, and the price paid by her attorney, Union war-hero, Frederick Aiken (played by James McAvoy) for defending her to the best of his ability is a key element of the story. It is revealed that powerful political figures wanted a quick outcome of the trial to soothe fears that the South would be resurgent, so soon after it had surrendered.

The Conspirator was ably directed by Robert Redford, who managed to obtain actors with the skill to carry this historical drama without ringing one false note emotionally. It left me thinking about it long enough to research any inaccuracies in the movie, and there are a number of them, as in any "entertainment" history. However, there are not enough films of this quality being made today.

Made on a budget of 20 to 25 million dollars, it has grossed well over 100 million dollars in the USA alone, as of August 2011.