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The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Name: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Director: Barak Goodman
Released: 2009
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

2.7/10

Limited

2009

TV-PG

Director

Barak Goodman

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a specialized historical documentary that prioritizes chronological reconstruction over social deconstruction. It focuses on the parallel journeys of Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth, which naturally centers the narrative on male political and criminal actors. Because the subject matter is rooted in mid-19th-century American history, the film adheres to conventional storytelling structures. It lacks intentionality regarding multifaceted representation or the disruption of traditional social hierarchies. Ultimately, the documentary serves as a study of specific historical figures rather than a platform for diverse social perspectives.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The documentary focuses on the political and criminal movements of Lincoln and Booth. There are no LGBTQ+ characters or narratives addressing non-straight identities present in the film.

How does The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln portray gender?

Limited

The narrative centers on masculine-coded spheres like 19th-century politics and warfare. The plot is driven by the converging paths of two men, reinforcing traditional patriarchal historical perspectives.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln?

Fair

While the film engages with Civil War-era racial tensions, it is unclear if African American perspectives are given a significant role. The score reflects the limitations of the period's social constraints.

How does The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film functions as a traditional chronicle of American foundational institutions. It lacks anti-Western or secularist narratives, focusing instead on the gravity of national historical milestones.

Does The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no mention of characters or historical figures portrayed through the lens of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Provides a focused chronological reconstruction of the Lincoln assassination and the subsequent manhunt.
Maintains historical gravity by focusing on the significant intersection of a national leader and his assassin.

Limited or Absent

Lacks multifaceted representation of the diverse populations existing during the Civil War era.
The narrative structure remains heavily centered on masculine-coded political and criminal spheres.
Does not actively seek to include or provide a significant role to non-white perspectives within the historical framework.

Official Synopsis

Just days after the Civil War ended, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated at Ford's Theatre. As a fractured nation mourned, a manhunt closed in on his assassin, the twenty-six-year-old actor, John Wilkes Booth. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln tracks the converging paths of the president and his killer, then tracks and draws connections between their last journeys, in the forms of Lincoln's funeral train route and Booth's desperate efforts to escape.

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