Lincoln Film Review

Lincoln - "Blood's been spilled to afford us this moment"

Steven Spielberg helms a momentous expedition into film making by undertaking the 3 month period in which the 13th amendment is discussed on the floor of congress. The 13 amendment would mean the end to the American civil war which raged from 1861 to 1865 and took roughly 618,000 lives along with it. It would also abolish slavery to which the democrats at the time opposed.

Daniel Day-Lewis bravely dived into the role of Abraham Lincoln after Steven Spielberg offered it to him multiple times after Liam Neeson dropped out fearing his age would be problematic. Sally Field who I believe to be horribly miss cast at the age of 66 portrayed Mary Todd Lincoln who at 1865 was only 47 years old was really the crutch of the film. It was awkward to watch her pale in comparison to the marvelous Daniel Day-Lewis who is likely to win an Oscar. She is so visibly older than him, that I can't help but wonder how she got Steven Spielberg to cave into giving her the role. She openly campaigned for the role which should have gone to someone much younger.

The script is so rich in engrossing dialogue it's mouth watering, so many quotable & memorable lines. The cast is star studded but a few stand out amongst the rest. Particularly James Spader as W.N. Bilbo who is tasked with procuring 20 democratic votes by any means necessary to gain the majority in congress which would get this bill passed. His performance is rich in humor, it's almost as if Steven Spielberg unleashed him and pointed the camera at him and said GO! Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens is simply marvelous, his performance is so subtle, but comes off extremely urgent due to the subject matter. It's a silent strong performance that's award worthy. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robert Lincoln, the rebellious son of Abraham is such an important role as he defies his father and enlists in the army which only makes Lincoln's cause that much more important. How could a man forgive himself if his son died in a war he was trying to end?

Janusz Kaminski, Spielberg's faithful cinematographer did a terrific job at recreating the era in which this historic moment took place, there's very little CGI and the use of practical effects really enriches the look of the film. It would have been too easy to CGI the landscape and old buildings and the crew should be congratulated especially the art department. There is one very violent civil war scene that opens the film that truly showcases the atrocities of the war. Bayonet warfare was ugly. However it was important for us the audience to see this brutality in order to really understand the urgency of ending the war.

It's an important film for all ages, don't shy away at a character piece driven by dialogue, it's entertaining, it will hold your attention. My eyes were glued to the screen from beginning to end, it would have been perfect if not for the poor casting of the clearly too old Sally Field. 9/10