The pantheon of presidents has many recognizable faces, but only a select few seem to be known worldwide to people everywhere. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Barack Obama, all great men who are known throughout the free world as leaders that inspired great ideas and confidence. Beating them all though is Abraham Lincoln, an icon in his own right and one who is remembered for bringing equality to this country.
In Steven Spielberg’s latest motion picture “Lincoln”, he presents a portrait of Lincoln like no other you’ve ever seen, emphasizing his humanity and flaws in an effort to showcase not a president, but a man who hoped to bring change to the land he loved.
Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) is the President of The United States of America during a period of transition and war. America is divided over the usage of slavery. Lincoln and the North are strongly opposed, while the South is firmly for the use of slaves. In order to permanently end slavery, Lincoln will have to pull out all the stops and change America forever.
Let’s get this out of the way: Daniel Day-Lewis is phenomenal as Lincoln. He can practically guarantee himself an Oscar come February. A wonderful performance makes Lincoln appear as a man who desires to see change come to the country he loves so much. Day-Lewis conveys such emotion and depth in his performance, every word sends chills up your spine. Similarly, Sally Field does a great job as Mary Todd Lincoln, giving her life as a woman who is conflicted about her husband’s actions and shows the controversial aspect of Mary Todd’s life: her mental instability. Kudos to Spielberg, screenwriter Tony Kushner and Field for exploring this part of the first lady’s life.
Some of the more emotional parts of the movie were bipolar in terms of quality; while those dealing with Lincoln and his crusade for the country are riveting, those dealing with his elder son (played nicely by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) seem a bit underdeveloped with the entire storyline disappearing by the end of the movie. There’s still some nice moments between father and son, but they feel inconsequential compared to the rest of the movie’s surprisingly intense debate scenes.
Speaking of those debate scenes, they have a sense of urgency and eerie prophetic quality to them. This is especially prevalent in a scene where a congressman notes how banning slavery will lead down a slippery slope, that could result “…in women voting!” Whether it was intentional or not, Spielberg has put a fascinating mirror to our society, showing that, while slavery is banned, similar types of prejudices still exist. Earth shattering food for thought right there.
“Lincoln”, like Spielberg’s last drama “War Horse”, is an old-fashioned type of epic that provides excellent performances and a fascinating story. While some of the emotional elements fall slightly short, Spielberg’s latest flick rises to the occasion with a script that provides thought provoking ideas and brilliant acting. It’s a bit different from what you might expect, but what does transpire in the movie is so brilliant it’s doubtful you’ll truly mind. “Lincoln” is a wonderful movie that does justice to one of America’s great presidents.
