Is that the real Lincoln or Daniel Day-Lewis? Haha! Only Steven Spielberg would cast Lincoln so perfectly!
Confession: I'm a Lincoln nut. I was one of those guys who used to take the kids to Disneyland and go straight to the Lincoln animatron, where I could watch the mechanical figure wax poetic and bring me back to the days of strife in our country. The kids used to say, when will this stupid Lincoln tour be over? I've seen nearly every Lincoln movie made. If I could go back in time, I'd want first and foremost to meet big, tall, troubled, Honest Abe.
So Spielberg and Daniel D-L had me at the get-go. Between the extraordinary acting and creative, poignant scripting, this film really brings the great president to life. We get to know the man who struggled so deeply with ethics and who tried to do the right thing. We admire Lincoln's courage in opposing slavery and we feel his pain over the human suffering and loss of life during the long, bloody war.
No spoiler, so I won't tell much. But the film focuses on a very narrow aspect of the Lincoln period, the last few months of the presidency, when Lincoln was trying desperately to pass the 13th Amendment that bans slavery. We learn all about Lincoln the politician who garnered votes through back doors to achieve his ends.
A drawback: Lincoln crazies like me want more. I would have enjoyed a much wider look at the great leader. I would have appreciated a detailed review of the Civil War. I wanted a big history lesson!
But who can really criticize such a fine work of art?
My prediction: Best Actor for Daniel D-L, Best Supporting Actor for Tommy Lee Jones (as the wonderful, sassy leader of the "Republicans"), and..... BEST FILM!
A+++++++ Yeah, about as superlative as this reviewer can get!
Your best post to date, in my opinion. I am so glad I didn't go before you, because, clearly any one who is this big of a Lincoln fan should have the honors. I agree with everything you said. And what extraordinary performances.
ReplyDeleteI happen to be reading Gone With the Wind right now (first time) (and on my Nook), so the parallels and contrasts in perspective have been most enjoyable.
Makes the relevance of current politics all the more fascinating!
I, too, need to see this again.
Thanks for a great post.
Just saw this a second time with 2 girlfriends. It's even better, seeing it again. And it is an important reminder of the blood, sweat, tears, yelling, conniving, scheming, fighting that is often (always?) required of progress through the legislative process.
ReplyDeleteSitting in classrooms, we read in textbooks that ..."and the 13th Amendment was passed in ...blah, blah, blah." Little do most of us realize and appreciate how intensive the steps leading up to it, or any other law passage.
It also helps reassure me that even today's hyperbolic, vitriolic machinations in Congress are simply part of the process, much like the pangs of childbirth.
Let us hope eventual Congressional decisions are always for the GOOD!