Killing Lincoln

Unike the highly acclaimed, and deservedly so, Spielberg film "Lincoln", this film goes behind the assassin John Wilkes Booth and his wish not only to kill the president, but also to overthrow the American government. The story behind the shot at Ford's Theater which killed Abraham Lincokn on April 14th 1865.

The story is a docudrama, narrated by Tom Hanks, telling about the attempts to kill Lincoln from right months before, until they managed to do so. Interesting film, made for National a geographic Channel, especially for use to historically accuracy and for educational use, based on the best selling book with the same name by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. The film is made as accurate as possible, and that down to where people stood on photos, and it is made as a hybrid movie, which jumps out and in of the story, while also using time to dwell in photos and Tom Hanks as the story teller. Hanks is a descendant of Lincoln, hence Nancy Hanks actually was the name of Abraham Lincoln's mother.

Not only Lincoln was killed on this night, but it was a conspiracy not unlike a coup d'Etat, when Booth run up on the stage seconds after the killing shouting "Sic semper tyrannis" from the stage afterwards. (So dies a tyrant.) After that starts the biggest man hunt in American history as well.

Well worth a watch, and great stuff for usage for educational use, but also compelling watch off others who wants an accurate history telling.

Based on Bill O'Reilly's book of the same name, this is a documentary of Abraham Lincoln (Billy Campbell) and John Wilkes Booth (Jesse Johnson) as they head into the history books. Coming so close to Daniel Day-Lewis' amazing performance, Billy Campbell is unable to measure up. Booth is suppose to be a great actor. I wish they got somebody more well known than Jesse Johnson. He does a capable job but he needs a more powerful presence. The surprise comes from Tom Hanks' narration. When it first starts, I thought it was a grave mistake. After some time, his narration grows on me. And I really like the constant repetition of "Lincoln has ______ to live". It's a great way to build tension as the clock counts down. The production is good for a TV movie. I can't really vouch for its academic accuracy. I do wish for more on Booth. Lincoln's story could be trimmed but there is a good sequence of him visiting Richmond after its fall. It's a good watch.

If you watch this movie, you will know the facts of the events leading to, the events of, and the results of Abraham Lincoln's assassination. This is most excellently performed.

The actors who portrayed both Lincoln (Billy Campbell) & Booth (Jesse Johnson) performed A plus roles. Both actors conveyed the feel of the age and the personality of both historical persons as history has made them known to us. Excellent. Johnson for sure deserves an award. Watching his performance, you will feel that you know Booth.

If you are at all interesting in these events, watch this movie. You will be well educated, informed, and entertained. In this modern day, such a combination is rare, indeed.

In the highest minded rationale, this is as good an expression of the TV art as there can be.

For over fifty years, I have been intrigued with the story of the Lincoln assassination. For the past thirty-eight years, I have lived with it on a day-to-day basis as first a volunteer and then director of the Surratt House Museum in Clinton, Maryland. During that time, I have worked with researchers, authors, journalists, and a variety of film makers from the old In Search Of series, Unsolved Mysteries, History Channel productions, and more - including The Conspirator movie directed by Robert Redford.

Through those years, I have waited patiently for someone to give an accurate, detailed account based on the facts of the Lincoln conspiracy. I finally have seen the best depiction to date with Killing Lincoln. Thank you to all the writers, directors, cast members, and production staff who finally took the time to get the story right. It's an event that came at the end of a horrible war and changed the course of American history. With skillful writing, directing, and acting - and with the excellent guiding narrative by Tom Hanks, my waiting patiently has paid off. Thanks to all.

Tom Hanks hosts this drama/documentary about the assassination of Lincoln. As one can imagine, it's a dark and sad story, but I found some of it very interesting. I don't consider myself the last word on the assassination -- if you are, you're not going to enjoy this as I doubt there was anything new there.

The focus initially is the Booth family, especially John Wilkes, as he plots to kill the President, the Secretary of State, and the Vice President. It also covers his earlier foiled attempt. Apparently you just couldn't kill William Seward -- the man not only was nearly killed by a co-conspirator, but at the time, he was ill.

Billy Campbell plays Lincoln. He has a naturally high, light voice, so I suspect after Daniel Day-Lewis' research of descriptions of Lincoln's voice, this will become the norm. I found moments before the actual assassination, with Lincoln's last words to his wife, "They won't think anything about it," quite touching.

The dramatization then covers Wilkes and his co-conspirators' attempts to escape, Booth's death, the capture of the others, and their varying prison/death sentences.

It's interesting material if you're not all that familiar with it.