The High Price Of Freedom

I'm doing a movie review today, but I'd like to also point out Norma's review of this one for your consideration. Now then, shall we get to it?

"Can anyone direct me to the Smithsonian? I'm looking for an old fossil." ~ Natasha Romanoff

"This isn't freedom. This is fear." ~ Steve Rogers

"This is the age of miracles... and there's nothing more horrible than a miracle." ~ Baron Wolfgang von Strucker

The Sentinel of Liberty returns in a current day sequel to Captain America: The First Avenger in a film that wrestles with the question: is security worth the cost to freedom? The question looms large over a film that plays more like a political thriller than a superhero adaptation. Captain America: The Winter Soldier owes much to the work of comics writer Ed Brubaker, who in the last few years established arguably the definitive run on the character and the world he inhabits, by daring to do what was unthinkable and bring back a character long thought dead- and succeeding wildly. The film itself deals with themes like power, responsibility, and the infiltration and corruption of an agency meant to do good but turned on itself.

The film opens in a quiet way with Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) meeting Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), a meeting that quickly establishes a rapport between them that'll pay off later. He joins his fellow Avenger Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), in a S.H.I.E.L.D. operation to rescue agents being held hostage in the Indian Ocean, and out of that mission, he finds himself asking troubling questions about his purpose. Coming from a past where the difference between right and wrong was very clear, Steve finds himself in a present day where the lines are not so clear.

Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and S.H.I.E.L.D. are working on a new generation of helicarriers with new capabilities, including taking out threats before they become a problem. Steve is disturbed by the notion of preemptive strikes, Fury argues that his agency must work with the world as it is instead of an ideal world. We meet an old friend of Fury, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), a political leader, member of the council overseeing the agency, and one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. And into the mix of all of this comes a violent force of nature and a mystery man, the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan). He's a relentless masked assassin with a robotic arm, extraordinary resilience, and a skill for killing people. Soon Cap finds himself on the run, marked as a fugitive by his own people, uncertain who to trust.

The film is directed by two brothers, Anthony and Joe Russo, who have a background mostly in television comedy. This comes across as a surprise, because you wouldn't know that in how skillfully they orchestrate action sequences. They employ the sort of touches you might expect in one of the Jason Bourne films, both in terms of fight sequences and chase sequences. They also keep the story moving along at a brisk pace, driving up the tension along the way. We can keep track of what's going on while it's going on- a vital element in a film like this. The directors and their camera and editing crews give us just the right amount of distance in an action sequence that we don't get lost. At the same time, they know when to give the audience a breather.

The story comes to us from screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. A look at their credits reveals much; they already have experience in the Marvel cinematic universe, with the previous The First Avenger, as well as the recent Thor: The Dark World. In addition, however, they also took part in writing the screenplays for the three Chronicles of Narnia films of recent years. The story they tell here is a conspiracy tale, of an agency corrupted from within by an old enemy. It's true to the history of Captain America in the comics too; there have been occasions when the character has been disillusioned by the direction of his government, exiled from America, or turned into persona non grata. Those qualities are on display in the story, which is dark and troubling at times. They deal with the struggle between security and order on the one hand, and the price to liberty on the other. I found myself thinking at times that a certain former Vice President (coughDickCheneycough) would look at the rationale behind the dark plans of the antagonists the writers give us, and say, "you know, that would have been a great idea."

They strongly emphasize character, and use dialogue to reinforce that. This is best shown in the dynamics between Cap, the Widow, and Sam Wilson, who steps into action as the Falcon. There is respect between all three, a fundamental trust. It's there right off the bat with Sam for Steve, but with Natasha, it's a bit harder to come by; she's more pragmatic about the sort of things that need to be done, even if that's a gray area. The trio have good banter with each other, and that starts off with the writers. Even in small details, the writers pepper the story with revealing moments. There are nods to other elements of the Marvel cinematic universe, such as verbal or visual mentions of Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, Thor, Hawkeye- and one yet to come in a blink and you'll miss hearing it name, not to mention two other coming attractions, so to speak.  

The film was shot both on stage and on location in Cleveland and in Washington. The crew outdid themselves in their work, including rigging complicated and intricate action sequences, as well as the required special effects, only used sparingly and when needed. The world of S.H.I.E.L.D. is explored more in depth, including their headquarters, which looks ultramodern and has secrets of its own. Even more effective, strangely, is a throwback bunker with old, old technology and a hidden, malevolent presence, rendered well by the crew. Aside from the previously established characters, two new characters owe a good deal to the costuming and technical side of things. The Winter Soldier's look is very much based on the comics design, and the costuming team render it well in how they made the actor look. The Falcon's somewhat different from the comics counterpart; his flight suit is more tech-armour than what the comics version is, but it works wonderfully, and feels quite real world as he soars through the air and into battle. The designers did terrific work in how they worked out the Falcon's look. 

The cast suits the film ideally, and I'll start with smaller roles. Georges St. Pierre is one of those mixed martial arts types- I don't understand the appeal of that sport- and is cast in a cameo role as Batroc, a mercenary who appears early on leading the hostage taking. The character has a long history as an adversary to Cap, and it was a nice touch to have him in the film, with the potential to bring him back in the future. Even without the mask and costume of the comics version- which probably wouldn't work in film- the essence of the character comes across on screen. St. Pierre has merely to play him as the supremely dangerous fighter through his time on screen. Another actor who plays an adversary is Frank Grillo. When we first meet him, he's an agent, but his true loyalties will soon be revealed, and for a comics reader, hearing his mere name is enough to mark him as a villain. His character manages to carry on through the film, and he plays the role with a tenacity and ruthlessness- suiting the man as he should be. There's a brief cameo appearance in the credits- stay for both scenes by the way- by the great character actor Thomas Kretschmann, playing the villainous Baron von Strucker, a formidable adversary with a lot of bad history with Cap. In just a minute's time, Kretschmann conveys the arrogance and menace of an utterly ruthless and sadistic man. Emily VanCamp turns up here and there as a neighbour of Steve, actually an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. named Sharon, another character comics fans will know well. And there's a cameo from the first film in the form of Hayley Atwell, who played Peggy Carter, Steve's love interest. We see her both young and old, and the conversation between the two characters has heartbreaking poignancy.

There's another holdover from the first film, though he doesn't look like we last saw him. Arnim Zola (Toby Jones), the HYDRA scientist, has cheated death in a manner of speaking, and we hear the voice and feel his presence. His new form of existence is one that comes across as bone chilling as the audience begins to understand his capabilities. And from The Avengers, Cobie Smulders reprises her role as agent Maria Hill, one of the few people Nick Fury knows he can trust. She gets a good deal to do this time out, particularly as the film heads towards a climax. She plays the role as a woman who's professional and dedicated to her work... with just a hint of a sense of humour. 

The main characters inhabit their roles as we can expect them. Redford might well have been perfect for the lead role in his youth. Here he must play a complicated role, with a poker face at first. It's a character with history and hidden depth, and his own driving forces; beyond that, I can say nothing other than he plays the part well, and is compelling to watch. Jackson gets a great deal to do this time out, perhaps even more so than in The Avengers. He struggles with the ethical consequences of his actions versus the responsibilities to society. He comes across as highly resourceful on more than one occasion- particularly when he personally comes under attack by gunmen posing as police officers. And there's a profound grumpiness to the character that fits who Fury is. The antagonist- if you want to call him that- carries some surprises with him. Sebastian Stan plays the tragic Winter Soldier, a man of great skills and few words. We've seen him before, of course, but he's much changed since last he appeared in the Marvel cinematic universe. Through much of the film, there's a profound relentlessness to the character, the sort of fellow who, in short, is a very dangerous man. But as the audience starts to learn more about him, we see he's been used and abused in the worst of ways, brainwashed into a killing machine. He earns our empathy and compassion, and Stan conveys that sense of tragedy in the film's final act.

The three lead protagonists play their roles very well indeed. Anthony Mackie's appeared in other work that I've liked, including The Adjustment Bureau and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. We get to like him pretty much right off the bat as Sam Wilson in how he relates to Cap, and the writers wisely keep us from knowing that he already has experience in flight from his military days with a flight suit that's rather unusual. It's a different take on the character from the comics, but Mackie gets Sam's personality just right. He's courageous, loyal, and daring, and the directors chose well in casting him. The film could have easily been called Captain America & The Black Widow, because Evans and Johansson are together through most of the film. Johansson plays Natasha as the thoroughly dangerous woman she is, and this is her third go at the character. She's pragmatic enough to know that some things have to be done for the greater good, and has elements of her past she'd prefer to keep buried, and yet is willing to turn rogue because it's the right thing to do. Johansson gives the character the ingenuity, intelligence, and ability to improvise that we'd expect from her, and there's strength in her performance- as well as a dash of humour. This is also Evan's third time in his role, and he's the bedrock of the film. His Captain America is a man out of time, trying to get used to the modern world. He's also a man of fierce principle and integrity, not knowing who to trust in a world that's gone morally gray. Beyond that, however, is a man who's a natural leader, decisive and determined. And on top of that is the sort of guy whose sense of personal decency allows him to feel empathy for a friend turned enemy. 

Captain America: The Winter Soldier turns the entire Marvel cinematic universe upside down. It's a gritty political action thriller and conspiracy film that deals with betrayal and the clash of security versus liberty. The film is a rousing, dark one, and a splendid addition to the franchise. 

Justice, Vengeance, And Conspiracy

"You're my witness. Should I not expect you to tell me the truth?"

On April 14th, 1865, with the Civil War at its end, President Abraham Lincoln took his wife to the theatre. There, assassin John Wilkes Booth shot him in cold blood, the culminating act of what was meant to be a three pronged attack by he and his associates, decapitating the leadership of the Union in one fell swoop. What followed in the days afterward included a manhunt for the assassin and his confederates, mass arrests, and an appetite for vengeance in the North that would have long lasting consequences. The story has been told in many accounts by historians, including a recent update by James Swanson called Manhunt. It has also found its way into novels, and to both the small and big screen. In recent years, the cable movie The Day Lincoln Was Shot depicted the assassination and its fallout.

In the second of my what was I thinking when I missed this in the theatre reviews, I'm turning my attention today to The Conspirator, which made a quiet debut last year in theatres, and has moved to the home video market. The film, by director Robert Redford, tells an often overlooked part of the Lincoln assassination: the trial of the other accused in the conspiracy, particularly the story of the only woman to be tried in the case.

The movie opens two years earlier, introducing us to a young Union officer, Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy), wounded on the field of battle. Then it proceeds to the conclusion of the war, with celebration in Washington. With the surrender of Lee and the certaintly that other Confederate forces in the field would soon follow, the Civil War is at an end, and after years of bloodshed and calamity, it seems that finally, a page has been turned.

Looking back at it, we all know better. Booth, the famed actor and sometimes Confederate operative, cannot accept the turn of events, and he gets an unexpected opportunity when he learns of the President's theatre plans. He launches a spur of the moment operation, assassinating Lincoln, while sending one of his men after the Vice President and two more to kill the Secretary of State.

The assassination sequence at the theatre is familiar to most people, and Redford gives it the gravity it requires. He does the same with the other two aspects of the conspiracy, where we see the failed attack against Secretary Seward and the failure to attack the Vice President. Aiken, in Washington, witnesses the removal of the President from the theatre to the home across the street where he died a few hours later. It's a moment that impresses upon the young lawyer. From there, of course, Secretary of War Stanton (Kevin Kline) takes control, launching a manhunt, doing whatever it takes to root out the conspirators, and the manhunt ends with the death of Booth.

Of course, the film's not about Booth, and it's not about Lincoln. Their ghosts do hover over the rest of the film, but the story is about Aiken himself, drawn into defending one of the accused in the conspiracy trial, Mary Surratt (Robin Wright). His mentor, a Senator named Reverdy Johnson (Tom Wilkinson), asks him to take the case. He's a Southerner who stayed loyal, and he believes that Mary needs a Yankee attorney. Aiken is reluctant, understandably. He believes Mary is guilty, and she's not exactly helpful in her own defense. Her boarding house was a meeting place for Booth and his gang, even before the assassination plot. Her son John was one of Booths' closest confederates, and while he had no part in the assassination, the government is still looking for him.

Aiken finds himself drawn into the case. He prepares a defense, finding inconsistencies in the case, meeting Marys' daughter Anna, who's ostracized and isolated because of her family. He's bothered that a civilian is being tried before a military tribunal, rather then by the civilian courts. He believes that basic constitutional rights are being trampled. And he comes to see that the lead prosecutor, Joseph Holt (Danny Huston) is actively stacking the deck against him and his client, interfering with witnesses. He pleads with Mary to reveal where her son is, something that as a mother she cannot do. His personal life and reputation suffer because of the case. And he increasingly wonders about her guilt, or degree of guilt, or innocence, while pleading with the tribunal not to let themselves give in to revenge.

The film is, at its heart, a courtroom drama. It brings up troubling questions that remain relevant today, about justice versus revenge and the rights of everyone to a fair trial. The tribunal wasn't about justice. It was all about revenge. Redford directs from a script by James Solomon, based on years of research, and he brings gravity and weight to the film, which has a deliberate, methodical tone to it, and an enormous amount of attention to detail. From my own knowledge of the story, I didn't seen any liberties taken with history.

Painstaking efforts for accuracy was made during production, and it worked. From the architecture of buildings and sets to the small details of costuming, props, and even gas lighting, the film feels very much like it's drawn out of the mid-nineteenth century. 

The casting of the roles is well done. Kevin Kline as Stanton is an interesting choice; you have to look twice at him to recognize him, though the voice can't be mistaken. There are things he says that would seem familiar coming from Dick Cheney, including being willing to ignore the rights under the constitution if it means saving the country. Still, as much as Stanton might be seen as an antagonist, his actions are still understandable. In those hours and days after the assassination, the magnitude of the shock on the country was something that wasn't felt again until the Second World War. Stanton and Lincoln had been friends, and the War Secretary was convinced the conspiracy was far larger then it was. Stanton wasn't right, but he wasn't quite wrong either. Kline gives the character a tremendous presence and a decisiveness at a point in time where, in effect, Stanton was the entire federal government.

Tom Wilkinson is one of my favourite actors. He brings a lot to each role. In this, he brings tenacity, a certain scrappiness and cynicism, and depth to his role. And as Holt, Danny Huston comes across as overbearing, but it's entirely appropriate for the role. He should feel like a formidable opponent, and Huston has that kind of presence.

It's wise of Redford to have cast general unknowns as Lincoln and Booth. Both actors do look the part (particularly Toby Kebbell, who's got Booth's look and personality perfectly), but appear briefly at the beginning and in flashback. Bigger names would have distracted.

The two leads are well cast. Robin Wright gives her role as Mary Surratt a distinct dignity. She holds back from Aiken, evading his questions, leaving the audience to wonder about her guilt, to come to their own conclusions. Robin does look dressed down, so to speak, but gives Mary a strength and sympathy that we can connect to, regardless of our opinion on the Confederate cause. Fundamentally, she wants to protect her child. We can understand that. And the bond that develops between she and Aiken is one of mother and son, so that as the film progresses, Aiken sees her in an entirely different light.

James McAvoy is the driving force of the movie, the idealistic attorney who's seen war, who believes in the law and in justice. He pleads to the better angels of our nature, to quote the President, but it's a plea that goes unheard. He makes the effort to exonerate his client, fights for her, and is there with her through to the end. McAvoy, who's quickly building an impressive resume of films, gives Aiken an earnest, sincere depth.

Redford the director has become one of the great craftsmen of film. He has a fine talent for telling a story, for making the best use of his cast and crew, and he uses this film to shed light on an often overlooked aspect of that time, with questions that still haunts us to this day. The Conspirator is a powerful, compelling, and dramatic film that you should see.