The Lincoln Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Lincoln Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 1, 2024

James L. Conway's "The Lincoln Conspiracy" (1977) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only supplemental feature on the release is an exclusive new audio commentary with James L. Conway and critic Howard S. Berger. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

James L. Conway’s The Lincoln Conspiracy asks several excellent, very intriguing questions, which it promptly addresses with equally intriguing answers. Of course, all of this is one hundred percent speculative material. But much of it is not completely devoid of logic, which is why The Lincoln Conspiracy is worth a look.

A narrator working with material from a wide range of different sources – some of which are identified in the opening credits and some at the end of the film – begins reconstructing a mosaic of alternate developments that apparently led to the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln (John Anderson). At the center of most developments are quickly evolving relationships. Initially, they only rearrange but later change crucial bits of history. For example, the man who is known to have killed President Lincoln, stage actor John Wilkes Booth (Bradford Dillman), is introduced as a leader of a resistance group that has not even discussed an assassination attempt. Booth and several other men are planning to kidnap President Lincoln and then force dramatic changes in the final stage of the Civil War.

Another fascinating development brings together Secretary of War Edwind Stanton (Robert Middleton), the influential Senator John Conness (Whit Bissell), and Chief of National Police Colonel Lafayette Baker (John Dehner). After reviewing information about Booth’s resistance group, the three men agree that a few strategic plays could get President Lincoln killed, and with Stanton leading the country, they envision a new path forward for the winning North. Shortly after, Baker reaches out to Booth with an intriguing proposition.

The assassination of President Lincoln is reconstructed differently as well. Before President Lincoln heads to the theater, Stanton refuses an offer to replace him and removes his personal bodyguard. Assisted by members of the resistance group, Booth then shoots President Lincoln in the head, successfully escapes the theater, and disappears into the countryside. While the news about the murder spreads like fire and unleashes a countrywide hunt for the killer, Booth, now assisted by various new sympathizers, begins moving toward Canada.

The Lincoln Conspiracy is difficult to praise as a cinematic spectacle. It has a fine period appearance, but not grand visuals like the ones the big Hollywood studios loved to offer to the masses. However, despite the ongoing narration, it does not look like an unconventional documentary either. It is just a different film, offering a unique spin on a very well-researched and known story.

And this is probably its biggest weakness. After it presents its mosaic of alternate developments, The Lincoln Conspiracy leaves it entirely to its audience to determine how many of these developments can be credible. To be clear, it is not difficult to see that it is entirely possible that crucial developments before, during, and after the assassination of President Lincoln may not have been properly described in history books. However, the new material is only intriguing, which is insufficient to defend its right to exist.

Anderson gives a strange, at times borderline surreal performance that makes President Lincoln look like an isolated dreamer incapable of interacting with the people around him. Dillman is good, but his dramatic speeches are overdone in a few places. Middleton, while not flawless, gives the most convincing performance.

The Lincoln Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Lincoln Conspiracy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The Lincoln Conspiracy looks wonderful in high-definition. To be honest, excluding a few tiny blemishes that pop up in a few places, I think that the current presentation is about as good as it could have been in 1080p. Delineation, clarity, and depth are always outstanding. Even in darker areas, where crushing could have emerged, are handled incredibly well. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Unsurprisingly, grain is wonderfully exposed and very healthy. Color balance is terrific. All primaries look nicely saturated and remain stable. The supporting nuances are properly balanced. As a result, the entire color scheme has a very attractive organic appearance. Image stability is excellent. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Lincoln Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Even though the film has a proper music score and a bit of action, dynamic contrasts are unimpressive. However, this is how the original soundtrack was finalized. There is a greater emphasis on the narration and dialog, which are both always very clear and easy to follow. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

The Lincoln Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by director James L. Conway, and is moderated by critic Howard S. Berger. There is a lot of information about the good cast that was assembled for The Lincoln Conspiracy, the speculations that are channeled through it, the evolution of the screenplay and the casting choices that were made, etc.

The Lincoln Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is easy to declare that the reconstruction of the assassination of President Lincoln is not historically accurate. But is every single speculation in this reconstruction a lie? Could there be a few tiny bits that deserve to be treated differently? They are not all utterly illogical, which I think is a good enough reason to spend a night with The Lincoln Conspiracy. Kino Lorber's release introduces a marvelous recent restoration of The Lincoln Conspiracy that was prepared at Paramount Pictures. RECOMMENDED.