Honest Abe's In a Theater, Again

"Lincoln"

For those who read my review of War Horse  know that I have the utmost respect for director Steven Spielberg.  What can I say; he is my number one guy when it comes to filmmaking.  Aesthetically his films are always top notch.  He also his ability to put together moments of powerful emotion that pour from his ensemble cast of actors or pulse pounding actions sequences that later become iconic pieces of cinema.  Lastly his masterful skill, aptitude, and understanding of how to tell a story and capture the attention of an audience is something that will never be imitated or reproduced.  My admiration for actor Daniel Day-Lewis was amply stated in the review of My Left Foot.  His strength, presence, and craft when it comes to creating a character is so staggering to watch unfold on screen.  Everything he does leaves me in awe.  These two Hollywood powerhouses finally come together for Lincoln.  And the result is stupendous.

Don't let the name of the film fool.  Although the film is appropriately titled Lincoln if you knew nothing about the film or hadn't read the novel which it is based in part on, then you would think that this is going to be a traditional bio pic about our sixteenth president.  You know the one who freed the slaves, gave the Gettysburg Address, appears on our currency, and is the other guy who is associated with President's Day.  Let me tell you right now that Lincoln is not a typical biography.  The film focuses on the president's second term in office.  We are four years into the brutal and bloody Civil War.  When will the fighting stop?  That seems to be the question on everyone's mind.  Well, the answer is simple, pass the thirteenth amendment.  As Lincoln illustrates though, passing an amendment that outlaws slavery is no easy task.  The film moves us through all the trials and tribulations that he and his cabinet members faced while trying to get enough votes to pass this monumental amendment in the House of Representatives.

The fact that the film focuses so narrowly on such a specific time during Lincoln's presidency is actually its biggest strength.  We don't see him growing up as a child, marrying his wife Mary (Sally Field,) the other reasons behind the Civil War, or the man's first term in office; that isn’t important to the story.  Go read Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, watch the History Channel, Gettysburg, Gods and Generals, Ken Burns’s The Civil War, or sit in on a lesson in a seventh grade social studies classroom.  There's tons of source material available.   If everything I just mentioned were included in this film it would make the picture too open and broad by telling us information we’ve already heard numerous time before.  The boundaries of the film and its limited scope concerning the subject matter are told incredibly well because screenwriter Tony Kushner and Speilberg know that this crucial point and time in Lincoln's life is what mattered most.

The poise and composure that is exhibited through Day- Lewis's performance as a man who has quite a lot to deal in a nation torn apart is exactly how I envisioned the real Lincoln while reading the novel.  I don't how know the actor is able to do it, but Mr. Day-Lewis is able to tap into the human psyche that is Lincoln.  To me this isn't an actor's interpretation and portrayal of Lincoln; to me that just is Lincoln on the silver screen.  We are enduring the stress and frustration that he is feeling as he is trying to work with the House of Representatives to pass this amendment.  Whatever amount Daniel Day-Lewis's paycheck was for this picture, it wasn't enough.

On paper Lincoln seems like a dry, boring, talking head political drama, but Spielberg's cast and crew have put together a piece of cinema that stretches far beyond something that should just be shown in a classroom setting.  To watch history come alive and witness how everything unfolded at such a pivotal time in our history is magnificent.  This is a new decade and it's about time that Spielberg get back to doing what he does best which is showing audiences real historical events that contained powerfully compelling human drama.  For the past decade the filmmaker has chosen some rather ambitious projects but the end result is really hit or miss.  With Lincoln though I think this is a film that will resonate for decades to come.  Perhaps not on the level of Schindler's List or Saving Private Ryan, but on a more subtle level of quiet greatness.