Lincoln
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field,
Tommy Lee Jones, and
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
The life of an iconic historical figure the likes of Abraham
Lincoln offers moments of grandeur and speeches bursting with hubris, and in
Steven Spielberg’s exceptional film those elements are ever present, but so is the
other side of the penny. Lincoln excels
at showcasing the humanity and humility of a man guiding a country in the
darkest of times, but more impressively the cunning and, at times, conniving
nature of a man fighting for what he believes is right amongst a conspiring
political system.
Lincoln begins
with the distinctive lines from the Gettysburg Address recited amidst a torn
battlefield that echoes another Spielberg battle if for only a mere moments.
This introduction forwards to the silhouette of a haggard and hunched Lincoln
(Daniel Day-Lewis) sharing stories with a racially diverse group of Union
soldiers. What seems to start as a dynamic war drama very soon settles down
into mid-19th century America with costume plumage, horse drawn
carriages, and dingy, dirty early settlements. However, it is far more than
just design and a character study. What transpires over the course of the
nearly 150 minute film is an examination of early American legislature that
composes in the form of a thriller, though the audience is well aware of the
outcome.
Framed within Lincoln’s second turn as President, the war
has turned in favor of the Union and the 13th amendment is being
guided to legislature. Lincoln knowing the scale that the abolishment of
slavery would have on humanity, but also the war, is met with anger and
indecision from both party affiliates.
It’s within these moments that the narrative aspects of Lincoln shine brightest. The spectacle
of argument and opinion is well written by Tony Kushner. Spielberg’s direction
is especially brilliant in delicate ways. There are moments when the brash
bantering within the representative court is consuming in its’ exhaustive
eloquence, yet Spielberg is keen to keep the film paced. It’s an interesting
counterpart to have Lincoln’s ponderings, which seem bursting with wisdom
though they are nothing more than verbose yarns, accompany the maddening
threats of nearly everyone else.
These wonderfully written speeches and diatribes wouldn’t
hold weight without the stellar cast. Daniel Day-Lewis is spectacular in so
many ways; the body mechanics and the soft-spoken vocal influence are just two
of the defining means Day-Lewis brings Lincoln to life. Sally Field is
confident and hysterical as Mary Todd Lincoln, her emotional turmoil over
letting her son Robert Todd Lincoln (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) enlist in the war is
touching. Tommy Lee Jones plays powerful abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens with an
equal amount of disdain and honorability. It is a particular challenge to meet
expectations when Day-Lewis is so good, but for the most part the cast meets
the challenge.
Janusz Kaminski’s
cinematography utilizes a mix of browns and greys combined with soft-edged
focuses to keep the environments teeming with realism. It’s interesting to see the landscapes
captured with unflinching grime.
Though the film
moves along quite well, it becomes indecisive on when to find a stopping point.
This complaint seems minuscule in the scheme of it all, but finding an ending
is difficult, and important, in a film so historically familiar.
Lincoln is a splendid film, equally portraying the shining and dark moments of
history and the political process, while showing the wisdom of a man looking beyond the current towards the future.
Monte’s Rating
4.25 out of 5.00
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