Lincoln: Review

Rating: 7/10

Released: January 2013

Certificate: 12 A

Directors: Steven Spielberg

Genre: Drama

Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, David Strathairn, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, John Hawkes, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lee Pace, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones.

Summary: The film recounts President Abraham Lincoln’s efforts during January 1865, to get the Thirteenth Amendment passed in the United States in order to fully abolish slavery.

Steven Spielberg has made more entertaining movies than Lincoln such as Black Hawk Down, Jurassic Park and Titanic but this is his bravest attempt in all of his 40 years as director to change the way he makes a film. The film itself is largely indulged in politics, democracy and history. My theory is that Spielberg is trying to give the audience a history lesson on Abraham Lincoln.

Daniel Day-Lewis who plays Lincoln was awarded the “Leading Role” award at the 2013 Oscars for his role of Abraham Lincoln highlighting his outstanding acting abilities.

Image: Lincoln.

The Film starts a year before the end of the civil war with the films only action scene, showing soldiers fighting in bloody close quarter combat with rifles and bayonets. This moves on to a scene of two black men recalling the battle and talking to Lincoln about their futures and what they see themselves doing in the following years ahead. Lincoln listens to the men intently asking questions every now and then showing him as a warm and compassionate character that is willing to listen. This is then preceded by a scene of the confederate general surrendering the war. Following this is a flashback to Lincoln a month earlier addressing the crowd with a message of hope, realism and his ideas.

Image: Confederate Army.

The main storyline at the heart of this film is a flashback of how Lincoln in his second election as president is faced with the decision as to whether to put an end to the civil war by compromising peace with the confederates or to make another attempt at bringing in the 13 Amendment that would declare slavery and involuntary service abolished in the United States. Along with this Lincoln must deal with family problems of his son Robert wanting to go to university and serve in the army while his wife Mary (Sally Field) does not want this because of the fact three years earlier she lost her other son.

Image: Mary.

Throughout the film Lincoln uses quotes from Shakespeare, the bible and folk stories as he tries to persuade others into believing in his ideas. The Film really does capture the image of Lincoln at this point in his life and this is mainly down to the breathtaking storyline that Spielberg places before us.