Lincoln

There were two daunting tasks facing Steven Spielberg when he undertook "Lincoln".  First; who could successfully portray the iconic president Abraham Lincoln in a manner that retains dignity yet intimately on a human level?  Second; which chapter of Lincoln's story should be told, considering that he was the single most influential individual in American history? 

Casting Daniel Day-Lewis is almost like cheating; I wonder how much Spielberg directed and how much he just sat back and watched the performance.  There is not a moment in this film wherein Day-Lewis is present, only Abraham Lincoln has come in for work today.  Compliments must be paid to the writer Tony Kushner for giving Lincoln intelligent dialogue, but ultimately Day-Lewis so fully inhabits this role that he could probably have read scenes from "The Hobbit" and still convinced me that he is Abraham Lincoln.  I am ashamed to admit that I do not know how historically accurate certain elements of the film are, but I like to think that Lincoln was as good as he is portrayed here.  It was interesting to see Lincoln with such a good sense of humor; I believe that smart people with a good grasp on reality must be funny to survive.

Spielberg decided to focus on Lincoln in the White House during the fight for the Thirteenth Amendment.  The War of Northern Aggression (I put that in for Grandfather) had been raging for years, and Lincoln had already won re-election by the start of this film.  The story of "Lincoln" is very decidedly a moral struggle between good and evil; the abolishment of slavery.  Spielberg doesn't allow for ambiguity on Lincoln's part, very early Lincoln explains why he made the Emancipation Proclamation and why it would become null and void without the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment.  Much of the film examines the political wrangling which was necessary to convince Congressmen to vote for an amendment which they believed went too far, or not far enough.  Tommy Lee Jones plays Congressman Thaddeus Stevens in a dynamic role who will convince you that compromise can be a very honorable approach.  Perhaps the most surprising element of this film was Sally Field's portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln.  The story arc between her and Abraham Lincoln (her husband) is a true testament to Spielberg's mastery of the medium and the potency of great acting chemistry.  Day-Lewis and Field are so convincing in their respective roles that their final carriage ride feels like the sun breaking through after a long and horrible storm.

There are two complaints I have against the film; one minor and one which is probably just my hang-up (so I'll try to convince you of its merits).  First; some of the costumes, colors, and sets made me think "re-enactment", which is not something I expected in a Spielberg film.  Abraham Lincoln never came across like that, but some of the side characters (Lee and Grant) felt more like actors dressing-up than the men they were meant to be.  Second; I couldn't leave this past election and all my political sensibilities at the door.  Knowing that Spielberg is a President Obama supporter and knowing that President Obama claims that Lincoln is his hero definitely tainted my view of this film.  I read that Spielberg recently screened "Lincoln" at the White House for President Obama, and it kinda irritates me to imagine President Obama somehow comparing himself with Lincoln in his own mind.  Secretly I hope that upon viewing the moral conviction and genuine compassion for humankind that Lincoln exudes, maybe, just maybe there was a pang of conscience felt there in the White House theater room.