Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction, and that’s true for the facts examined in Stealing Lincoln’s Body. In this program, we look at Lincoln’s assassination and its aftermath.

From there we learn about the treatment of Lincoln’s corpse and his long funeral. Lincoln finally gets into his tomb in 1876, but he doesn’t stay there for long. A group of counterfeiters decides to snag Lincoln’s body for their own political purposes. The program examines their plot, its results, and connected events.

Throughout the show, we hear from a mix of sources. We get notes from Lincoln President-Elect author Harold Holzer, Abraham Lincoln: A Life author Michael Burlingame, Museum of Funeral Customs director Jon Austin, Stealing Lincoln’s Body author Thomas Craughwell, The Lincoln Funeral Train author Scott Trostel, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library curator James Cornelius, Lincoln Tomb site manager Nan Wynn, A Nation of Counterfeiters author Stephen Mihm, The Madness of Mary Lincoln author Jason Emerson, and Anything for a Vote author Joseph Cummins.

A good documentary sheds light on a subject in a fresh way. Body doesn’t reinvent any wheels, though it does try to bring the president to “life” in an unusual manner. It presents some digitally manipulated photos that allow us to see Lincoln “move”. This technique seems more creepy than convincing, so I’m glad it doesn’t receive much screen time.

Otherwise, Body goes with the standard mix of archival materials, historical reenactments, and “talking head” interviews. This doesn’t lend the program the most original feel, but it doesn’t need to impress us with flash. There’s a reason this format is so well-worn: it works.

And the format serves the material just fine in Body. The show starts with an intriguing premise, one that most folks won’t know. I follow history but I can’t say I had any knowledge of the topic.

The subject hasn’t remained obscure because it lacks excitement or drama. Indeed, Body follows a crazy plot chock full of strange events. The documentary conveys the story in a very good manner, as it brings out the weirdness of the whole along with the tension involved. I wouldn’t think a documentary about the theft of a corpse would manage to become so action-packed, but Body tells a funky tale in an involving manner.

Stealing Lincoln’s Body appears in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 on this single-sided, single-layered DVD; the image has NOT been enhanced for 16X9 televisions. Despite the lack of anamorphic enhancement, the transfer was acceptable.

Sharpness usually seemed fine. The program consisted of a mix of archival materials and modern “talking head” interviews. These could occasionally look a little rough and blocky, but they generally appeared reasonably accurate and concise. Mild issues connected to jagged edges and shimmering occurred, but no signs of edge enhancement occurred. Source flaws weren’t an issue, though some light digital artifacts gave the show a bit of a grainy look.

Colors were satisfactory. The program featured a natural palette, and the hues looked clear and concise. Blacks were fairly dark and tight, and low-light shots seemed acceptably distinctive. While this was never a dynamic transfer, it remained perfectly watchable.

I thought the Dolby Stereo 2.0 soundtrack of Stealing Lincoln’s Body was also acceptable. The soundfield had little going for it. Music showed decent stereo imaging, and a few effects spread out across the front. These were minor, though, and didn’t add much to the experience. That said, a documentary like this didn’t need a dynamic soundscape, so I didn’t mind the bland presentation.

Audio quality was fine. Speech sounded natural and concise, without edginess or other problems. Music seemed full and rich, and effects were decent; they didn’t demand much of the mix, but they appeared accurate enough. This was a perfectly serviceable soundtrack for a documentary.

If you want extras, you’ll find only disappointment. No supplements appear here.

Stealing Lincoln’s Body may sound like the subject for some fictional “B”-movie, it actually gives us a fascinating documentary about actual events. The program follows the material well and keeps us engrossed. The DVD offers average picture and audio but lacks any supplements. History buffs should give this release a rental.