The movie opens with the shot of dead soldiers in a battlefield and two injured soldiers speaking on the side of the field. The wound is only really visible on the main soldier and is mostly concealed by his clothing, though some blood is visible.

The president is shot in the back of the head; we can only really see the gun going off and smoke coming out of the gun, no blood.

Two people are hiding in a barn that is set aflame by the authorities chasing them. This coaxes one man out of the barn, but the other refuses to leave. A gun pokes through an opening in the wall and shoots the stubborn man, killing him.

A man with a dagger attacks a helpless man in metal headgear and bandages while he is recovering from a carriage accident in bed (he is not so seriously injured as his would-be assassin intended when the headgear protects him from the blade).

'Shit' and 'Son of a Bitch' are both used once each in the first 20 minutes.

Alcohol and smoking are common in the film, as it is set in a time where it was much more prominent as a social norm.

There is a suggestion that one man be kept away from the liquor cabinet, inferring that he is an alcoholic

The scene of the assassination is very intense, as it is montaged with the attack of Secretary of State Seward simultaneously, (the conspirator who was supposed to attack Vice-President Johnson took to the saloon instead of carrying out the attack, so it is not really shown). There are many people panicking, and it is very fast-paced. The scenes of people grieving in the house Lincoln is dying in may sadden people.

The hanging scene is very intense, and will haunt many. Some of the men being hanged are inconsolable in grief, and a woman is shown saying goodbye to her daughter before she is to be hanged. This could disturb many people.