¨I could
write shorter sermons but when I get started I’m too lazy to stop.¨
Lincoln is
without a doubt the most iconic figure in America’s history and for that fact
alone this movie is worth checking out considering it is a well researched
biopic directed by one of the best contemporary filmmakers: Steven Spielberg.
Lincoln may not be as entertaining as it is informative, but none the less this
is a film that will stick with you and help you understand perhaps a bit more
why Lincoln remains such a beloved and respectful figure in our society today.
This film will win several Academy Awards and perhaps even Best Picture thanks
to a wonderful lead performance from Daniel Day Lewis, a great supporting cast,
and a brilliant screenplay from Tony Kushner, who had previously worked with
Steven in Munich. What stands out about this biopic is the way in which
Spielberg presents it by deciding to focus on a specific period during
Lincoln´s second term as President. The film doesn’t have flashbacks or tell us
anything about Lincoln’s past life, but rather focuses on a specific period in
time where the President is trying to abolish slavery by getting the 13th
Amendment passed in the Constitution. All this occurring while the Civil War is
going on of course, as we see how Lincoln brilliantly manages to maneuver both
things at once. By deciding to film the biopic this way we can focus on an
important period in Lincoln’s life, without having to go through his entire
life. I felt that this way we were able to learn much more about the President and
his actions than we would have if we were given every specific about his entire
life. By focusing on this specific period we really learn and understand the
person that Abe is. I thought this was just a brilliant way to approach the
film and it worked wonderfully.
The film
takes place during Abraham Lincoln’s (Daniel Day Lewis) second term as
president in 1865 while the Civil War is nearing its end. Lincoln knows that if
he wants to abolish slavery once and for all in America he will have to do it
before the Civil War is over. Concerned about the little effect his
emancipation act will have on the slaves after the war he begins to push for
the 13th Amendment to be passed before peace is reached. The Senate
has already passed the amendment, and now it is up to the House of Representatives
to pass it. He knows he has the votes from the Republican Party, but he still
will need about 20 Democratic votes in order to get the amendment passed. In
this political game that Lincoln begins to play he tries to extend the Civil
War as much as possible in order to get the amendment passed, although he knows
that the longer he extends the War the more innocent lives will be lost,
including that of his son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who has decided to join
the War. This crisis of conscience that Lincoln faces begins to take a toll on
him and his family, although he manages to maintain his serenity through these
troubled times. Sally Field plays his wife Mary, while David Strathairn is
William Seward the Secretary of State. Tommy Lee Jones is Thaddeus Stevens, one
of the Republicans in the House of Representatives who highly favors the
amendment.
From the
moment that the film begins you get a sense that you really are seeing Abraham
Lincoln, the icon himself come to life. Daniel Day Lewis immerses himself
completely into his role in such a way that you forget that you are seeing a
portrayal of Lincoln, and actually begin to see Lincoln himself. Daniel is a
tremendous actor, he surprised us all in There Will Be Blood, and once again he
outdoes himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins his third Oscar for his
tremendous performance here. He is the highlight of the film. The rest of the
cast is also brilliant: You have Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David
Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, John Hawkes,
Jackie Earle Hayley, and Jared Harris among many other great actors. The entire
cast here is magnificent as they transport us into the past in such a way that
you forget you are watching a film. Everything about this film works really
well, but I felt it worked more as a history lesson than as a piece of
entertainment. This is not an action film, it doesn’t focus on the Civil War,
but rather it takes a more personal approach as to the persona of Lincoln and
the strategic politic mind he had. This is a film that will help you understand
more about the man and how he managed to end the Civil War while at the same
time abolish slavery. This is perhaps the greatest historical American political
film ever made. Unfortunately I’m not a fan of politics and I did find this
film a bit heavy handed, but it was a wonderful experience and it helped me
understand and learn more about the man Lincoln.
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