Movie Review: Lincoln

So for Thanksgiving, I went and saw the movie "Lincoln". It is absolutely brilliant. I'm speechless.



Not really of course! I've got plenty of things to say. :)

To date, America's Most Popular President has never received a true cinematic treatment. Sure, Henry Fonda had Young Mr. Lincoln, but that movie was just a frontier justice drama disguised as a Lincoln origins story. Of course, Abraham Lincoln has also been a Vampire Hunter, but I'm obviously not taking that one seriously.

Spielberg decides to avoid Lincoln's backstory altogether, cutting out the rail splitter imagery, the young lawyer in Washington motif, and the iconic Lincoln-Douglas debates. In fact, we first meet Lincoln after the Gettysburg Address and after his re-election.

Full Disclosure: I think Lincoln was one of the greatest American presidents. At the same time, I'm fully aware of his faults. He set the stage for later executive branch abuse of power. He approved poor financial policies that ultimately hurt the US down the road. He didn't always pick the best advisors or generals. I also fully admit that he probably would have supported segregation and wasn't any sort of abolitionist.

Spielberg masterfully weaves a compelling yet kind portrait of this great leader. From the start, we get to understand that Lincoln is aware that he has not always done things on a pure constitutional basis. Yet one gets a clear understanding of the circumstances of his decisions. He wasn't perfect. Yet he tried to do what was right.

The acting was superb. There are 145 speaking parts in this movie and every casting was spot-on. Every character looked like their historical counterpart, from Mrs. Todd-Lincoln to Alexander Stephens. And every actor/actress delivered great performances. The minor characters were well-developed, with beautiful story lines, from Thaddeus Stevens, Preston Blair, Robert Lincoln, to Mary Todd, Ulysses Grant.

Of course, Daniel-Day Lewis is absolutely superb, imitating Lincoln's mannerisms and body language expertly. He's going to be an Oscar nominee.

Being a history buff, I appreciated the intense attention to detail, from the Native-American aide present at Appamattox to the series of daguerrotypes that Tad peruses.

To be honest, I would elaborate on the beautiful character portraits more, but I think this movie should be enjoyed without me spoiling it for you.

Too many Americans fail to understand the history of their country. This movie details a lesser-known but pivotal episode: the passing of the 13th amendment outlawing slavery. As the movie points out. if anyone doubts Lincoln's commitment to ending slavery, one need only point to his advocacy of this amendment at a time when it was completely politically unnecessary for him to do so.

As Lincoln says himself, sometimes, to accomplish great good, one must make compromises or bend the law. That's a discussion in itself. But ultimately, this movie makes the case that in specific cases, the end may justify the use of questionable means. In the episode the movie details, I think it does.