4 The Clackamas Print
Wednesday, April. 20, 2011
aced@clackamas. edu
‘Conspirator’ unfolds histor
By John Simmons
s I Copy Editor
Few films these days seem
have any sort of.merit to them. We
are so constantly bombarded with
such drivel as “Grown Ups” and
“Sex and the City 2” that we for
get what a good movie looks like.
But that’s where “The Conspirator’ ’
sweeps in and reminds us all that
film companies can, indeed, still
achieve excellence.
“The Conspirator’ ’ is the debut
film of the American Film Company,
which produces feature films on true
stories from American history. The
company believes that real life is
often more compelling than fiction,
and I for one, have to agree with
them.
Highlighting a dark time in our
nation’s past and the past of our judi
cial system, the film tells the story
of Mary Surratt (Robin Wright),
the only woman charged as a co
conspirator in the Abraham Lincoln
assassination and the first woman to
be executed by the United States fed
eral government Mary was the pro
prietor of the boarding house where
several of the conspirators had stayed
leading up to the assassination and
was the mother of conspirator John
Surratt
The story begins with the Lincoln
assassination itself and then proceeds
from there, focusing mainly on the
trial of Mary. She is given a military
tribunal rather than a civilian trial,
and her judges are all men who
served under Lincoln.
Senator Reverdy Johnson (Tom
Wilkinson) believes Maty should not
be tried in a military trial but could
not take the case himself because he
was a Southerner and would nega
tively impact her case as a result, so
he has Ins mentee Frederick Aiken
(James McAvoy), a Union war-hero,
take it. Frederick is reluctant at best
because of the crimes she is accused
of and the damage it may do to his
career, but he eventually agrees.
As the film progresses it becomes
more and more apparent that the
evidence against Mary is largely cir
cumstantial: a picture of John Wilkes
Booth found in her boarding home,
an account of a private conversation
with a known drunk in which she
allegedly made some incriminating
remarks, her failure to recognize at
night a man who had been staying in
her boarding house in disguise and
under a false name.
Unfortunately for Mary and her
lawyer, the jury had already made
up their minds on the subject of her
guilt
The worst part of it all is not that
she was executed but that there was
no way of proving she was guilty.
She was convicted as a scapegoat
for her son’s crimes and died for
no reason other than to appease the
bloodlust of a grieving nation.
Overall, die acting in “The
Conspirator” is strong. McAvoy
proved to be a pleasant surprise. I
was a little dubious about whether
he could handle a leading role as I
have not seen him in anything big,
but he certainly rose to the occasion.
His scenes with Wright are very
touching at times, and his courtroom
speeches are some of the best in the
film.
Wright is the one who truly
shined, though. She is amazing in
her role and brings such poise and
devotion to the character of Mary
that it is hard not to be in awe every
time she’s on camera. Although she
wasn’t the main character, Wright
carried the film. It was her power
ful and moving performance that
brought true emotional weight to
the movie.
There were a few casting deci
sions that I found odd, such as
Justin Long and Alexis Bledel as
Frederick’s best friend and wife,
respectively. They are both fine
actors in their own right, but I felt
that they (especially Long) did not
suit the mood or intensity required
for the film.
Despite those poor casting choic
es, the cast as a whole succeeded in
bringing history to fife, which is hard
to do. At times I was on the edge
of my seat as the action unfolded,
caught up in every word o
trial and anxiously hoping
thing Frederick said would
impact on the tribunal an
them in her favor.
For most of the film I w
lutely infuriated about the I
of it all, which is a testa
the script writing, the act
the directing (done by thJ
actor Robert Redford. . >und|
Sundance Film Festival). I
A movie has not affect«!
this in a very long time, andl
the theater was inspired lol
into the world and do soim
help bring an end to injusd
this. That’s when you kn
have a good film on you
when it ¿uly inspires you to
11
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Students recommend top ten best movies you ’ve never se
MEL
By Brittany Anderson
The Clackamas Print
Have you ever been told to see a movie
but never got around to it? Most of us forget
or simply get too busy. Others blow the sug
gestion off; but should you? What makes a
movie so great that everyone needs to see it?
And what movies make this fist?
Digital Multimedia Communications
instructor Thomas Wasson is hoping that
some will look in to the tollowing: “Street
of Crocodiles,” by the Quay Brothers;-
“Madame Putli,” made in 2007 by Lavis and
Szczerbowski; “A Movie,” by Bruce Connor,
“Scorpio Rising,” by Kenneth Anger and
‘Teter and the Wolf” the 2006 version by
Susie Templeten. The above movies are all
animated.
“I’m kind of a geek when it comes to the
obscure animated films,” Wasson said. “Most
of these are masterpieces and should be
watched. They fit in this area of film. It’s like
an experimental area that expands your mind.
They will change your entire concept of what
a movie is.”
Some have a quite different view of what
the greatest movies that most have never
seen are. Some, like Clackamas Community
College student Jessica Porter, said, “I don’t
watch too many movies, but I’ve nSver got
ten to the end of‘Monty Python and the Holy
Grail.’”
Other CCC students such as Trent Beaver,
Ethan Reviere, Anthony Headrick and Aria
Kjelland were able to come up with a list of
12 fantastic movies in a matter of minutes.
Headrick said, “Anything by Gene Wilder or
Mel Brooks should be on the list”
The top ten best movies most people have
JOHN
RICK
BROOKS CANDY MOHINI!
MIL BROOKS'
MGM Studios
never seen are:
“This is Spinal Tap,” a mockumentary
film about a band trying to make it big and
their adventures while on tour.
“The Princess Bride,” a positively hilari
ous story. Mix together several bandits, a
pirate, true love, revenge, a big-headed prince
and his unwilling princess, and you know
something great is to come.
“Space Balls,” a “Star Wars” spoof where
in a princess is captured and one man and his
loveable companion are her and her world’s
^nlyhope.
“Donnie Darko,” a serious film that
focuses on the main character and his delu
sional visions. This story follows his path to
find meaning and significance, along with an
obsession with what the future holds.
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” por
trays the story of King Arthur riding around
Act 11 Communications
the country side, banging coconuts together
to mimic file sound of a horse and collecting
Knights of the Round Table, all during his
quest to find the Holy Grail.
“Robin Hood Men in Tights,” a spoof
of the classic story of Robin Hood: how he
meets Little John, rights the kingdom and
finds his true love. Chastity belt and genitalia
jokes are definitely in there so get ready to
laugh.
“Schindler’s List,” the story of a Nazi
scientist who doesn’t believe in the Nazi cause
and his journey to save those he can from the
horror of concentration camps.
“Pulp Fiction” is an ironic mix of humor
and violence. The movie has a lot of swearing,
guns and everyone is set on the possession of
a locked briefcase, one of which includes a
crime boss and his rather violent associates.
“Blazing Saddles,” a spoof western movie
1
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with racial tension, which goes thrJ
eral movie sets and has good evil ana
“Young Frankenstein,” a doctcl
ashamed of his family history must!
family home, which is now passel
through a will. The witty word playfl
out gives this clever take on “Frankl
humorous, if not brilliant, feel.
I
“Rocky Horror Picture Show,”!
of an unsuspecting engaged couplcj
flat tire in the middle of nowhere. Tl
upon a mansion containing a transvl
his friends. When events force thefl
the night, the trouble really begins. H
Other movies to check out im
“The Gingerdead Man,” “Strange E
“Mallrats,” “Willy Wonka and the fl
Factory,” “Top Gun,” “Camp ifl
“Fat Camp,” “Can’t Buy Me Love” an
Monkeys.”