Lincoln (2012)
Directed By: Steven Speilberg
Starring: Daniel day-Lewis, Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, and many more
I saw this movie over the Thanksgiving weekend, so I thought I'd share my thoughts about it with you all.
Lincoln is based partially on the book Team of Rivals, written by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book itself is an excellent, though lengthy read, so Spielberg decided to focus specifically on the machinations and behind the scenes work that Lincoln and his cabinet undertook to pass the 13th Amendment. The pressure is on as Lincoln must try and pass the Amendment as soon as possible, with Republican support for the bill conditional at best, and Democratic support difficult, but weak in certain areas. Lincoln, throughout the film, must wrestle with being able to convince his supporters and his cabinet to support his cause, while at the same time having to live with the pressures coming from not just the bill, but also the rising cost of lives from the Civil War.
Spielberg did an excellent job of choosing the elements of the book that would make the movie, as well as doing something different when it came to not just the subject of Lincoln, but also of the Civil War. For starters, Spielberg deliberately does not show much of the actual war itself, although it is mentioned many times over the course of the film. The only real glimpses of it are at the beginning, with the soldiers marching out to deployment, and at the end, when Lincoln himself tours a battlefield on the way to meet General Grant, giving him a full glimpse of the scale of the entire conflict. Spielberg also makes mention of the assassination of Lincoln, but instead chooses to go in another direction for showing the shock and horror of the moment when the news breaks that Lincoln has been shot. It's highly effective, and heart wrenching at the same time.
There are some really great visuals in the movie, the best of is Lincoln's final scenes in the White House as he exits to head to Ford's Theater, where we seem the final glimpse of Lincoln: the Man before he becomes Lincoln: the Ideal. Another great scene is Lincoln giving a speech in the Union Telegraph office, which goes well for all except for an overly serious Secretary of War Stanton. It's really one of the highlights of the film. That same office would later be the sight of one of the greatest scenes from the movie, as Lincoln broods over a possible choice that would change the course of the war, with the office dimly lit, and Lincoln looking larger than life, but strained and worn, as if the past four years had eaten away at his being.
What helps make this movie go, and probably makes it, is the casting. The senators are all well cast, although I did agree that the two principal senators of the democratic side came off a little too much like the evil Colonel Sanders type of slave owners for my taste. However, the rest of the senate is well casted, with the different factions, as well as those senators that are on the fence as far as their beliefs or desires regarding slavery, all well acted. The scene in which the Amendment is voted on is a riveting watch, and it's wonderful to see each Senator, including the fence sitters, vote and their expressions and reactions as they make their historic choice. There is one particular senator that stands out: Tommy Lee Jones as Senator Thaddeus Stevens. Jones is his usual cantankerous and fiery self as the Republican Senator that believed in true equality for all races, and was not satisfied with the Amendment as it was, but would support it nonetheless. And yet, despite his fire and anger and crankiness, you get a sense of genuine goodness and a strong sense of moral justice from Stevens, and you get a true reason for why he fought so hard for true equality at a time when the ground was still tough and hard.
Lincoln's cabinet was well casted as well, but I'll focus on the two chief leads, Secretaries Seward and Stanton, played by David Strathairn and Bruce McGill. Seward was the chief mover and shaker, and did a lot of Lincoln's (and later Johnson's) dirty work when it came to wrangling support for his policies. However, you get a sense of true loyalty to the President, as Seward was always conscious to make sure that the President stayed as far away as possible. Stanton is fairly accurate a serious man with a dedication to his duty, although I do wish it did make mention of the fact that Stanton was devastated at Lincoln's death and reportedly wept bitterly during the President's final hours. It was Stanton himself that launched himself into the quest to capture John Wilkes Booth (which is told in the film The Conspirator, also a great film), although his now famous quote of "Now he belongs to the ages" does make the cut.
Sally Field did a solid job as Mary Todd Lincoln, showing herself to be a devoted wife, and a charming First Lady when need be, but also was able to show off some of Mary Todd's mental instability that she is known for, most especially when her son Robert (played well during his limited screen time by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) decides to enlist, and is angered at her husband's seemingly callous acceptance of it. It's a great scene, and one in which it shows the Lincolns were just as human as we are, as opposed to the stereotypes of the Saint and the Madwoman that we have seen over the years. Sadly, Field is outshined by Gloria Reuben, who plays her maid Elizabeth Keckley. She gives such a dynamic performance, and gives such a nobility and grace to a character that may otherwise be overlooked, but did in fact have an long lasting relationship with the First Lady that endured with time. Her two greatest scenes, one with Lincoln and one in the Senate, are more than enough to get her some run for Best Supporting Actress, in my opinion.
Which brings me to Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays the films namesake. In my opinion, no matter how great the casting, you can never truly hope to recreate a person as they were, as they lived, as they breathed. It's impossible, and no matter how critics can try and convince you otherwise, its impossible. However, I do think that it's possible for an actor to at least capture the essence of the character that they are playing, that vital core of traits, speech, look and feel that makes that person, for that period of time, that character's shadow. And Day-Lewis does that. You get the feeling that you are watching at least the essence of Lincoln, in all of his greatness, all of his flaws, and all of that dry wit and ever present melancholy that seemed to haunt him in life, and most especially in his presidency. It's probably the best portrayal of Lincoln to be done on film (although I enjoyed Benjamin Walker's portrayal in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), and perhaps even the closest we'll ever get to seeing what Lincoln might have been like in life.
All in all, it's a fantastic film, one that will likely be up for several awards come awards season, and probably an Oscar for Day-Lewis. But even more than that, it's a look into one of the darker sides of our nation's history, from a different point of view than what is typically shown on screen. And it provides a bit of a window into the life of one of our favorite and most fascinating people in our nation's history.
