Lincoln: A Surprisingly Accurate Drama

Today we're transitioning from exploring the journey of a Southern escape convict to the story of the revered 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. His biographical movie has the very fitting title, Lincoln (2012, PG-13). This is the most recent film I will be reviewing so far, as this is the first movie I have selected from the 2010s. What is ironic is that the movie is based in the earliest time period out of all the other movies I have reviewed. Lincoln performed exceptionally well in the box office, earning over $180 million in domestic total gross with a production budget of $65 million.

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Before I begin the review, it is important to recognize that while this film has plenty of components that are merely there to entertain the audience, this is also a historical drama. Obviously a person should not look at the movie with the same scrutiny as a textbook, because after all, it is a Hollywood product and not meant as an educational device. With that being said, Lincoln manages to capture the emotions, the conversations, and the spirit of all the characters that we may have not fully understood otherwise. What takes place in the film happened in the 1860s, and there are probably historical aspects that the movie was not very accurate on. Overall however, the movie is fascinating in the fact that it manages to recreate a world that we usually only read about in mundane high school textbooks. Here, we see actual visuals, we get to actually hear Lincoln's voice, and what once seemed like a boring story that you are required to hear or read about in school becomes a colorful, meaningful reality.

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The 13th amendment to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude was passed by U.S. Congress on January 31, 1865. This was one of the most famous events in American history. What director, what storyteller would be bold enough to take on and try to retell such a significant moment in history? None other than Steven Spielberg, of course. I have to hand it to Spielberg, because he must of known from the second he even considering making this movie that the film would be under high scrutiny. I'm not talking about so much scrutiny from the critics, but more coming from historical experts. And I mean A LOT more coming from these experts.

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(Spielberg's movies)

We need to keep in mind however, that at the end of the day, this film is made to entertain just as much or maybe even more than to inform. Lincoln was released for movie theaters, not for art galleries, or swanky college lecture halls. Considering I would hope most people, especially those on the Western hemisphere, know the story of Abraham Lincoln, none of this should be SPOILERS. Now that I've made my little pre-game speech, let's get into the meat of the flick.

The film encompasses the story of main character and real-life U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis). With the bloody civil war about to continue for a forth year, Lincoln is looking to pass the 13th amendment in an effort to end the war and restore the Union.

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As Lincoln proceeds in trying to satisfy his goal, many argue with him, including his wife Mary Todd Lincoln (Sally Field), founder of the Republican Party Francis Preston Blair (Hal Holbrook) and Secretary of State William H. Seward (David Strathaim). Lincoln faces pressures from both the Democratic side, who call him a radical, and the Republican side, especially from member of the House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones). Nonetheless, the 13th amendment is passed, and only about three months later on April 15, 1965 Lincoln is assassinated.

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Lincoln is not an action movie, so the special effects aren't as prevalent as other dramas I've reviewed, like Top Gun or Air Force One. Nevertheless, Lincoln is still a handsome movie, and the scenes are enhanced with deep, rich colors that create a very crisp image. The American Flag has never looked better in a film with its dark red and blue colors waving in the sky in a perfect glow. The sound effects were good, but just good. This is not a movie that is going to blow anyone away with its amazing audio. Besides Spielberg, I think the biggest round of applause should go to the screenwriter, Tony Kushner. There are definitely some extremely powerful lines in this film, especially those coming from Lincoln. One example of the movie's great writing can be seen when Lincoln demands more votes for the amendment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qjtugr2618

As far as the individual performances go, Lincoln has a few different actors who stand out. From what most experts and critics claim, Daniel-Day Lewis' portrayal of Abraham Lincoln is basically spot-on. I hope that's true, because if it is, then Abraham Lincoln was probably one of the most interesting men as an American president. Sure, I don't really know much about the personalities of George Washington, John Adams, or Zachary Taylor. The mysterious calmness and patience that Lincoln possesses in the movie however, is quite fascinating to watch. You often sit there and wonder, "What is he thinking about now? Is he upset, is he tired, or is he not affected at all?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwVXokflE7o

Other actors that stand out include Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens. Even as a member of the House of Representatives, Jones still manages to be a bad-ass. Stevens is probably the most opinionated character in the movie and demonstrates no fear in expressing just how terrible he finds slavery to be. It almost seems like Stevens is from a different time, and at one point, even Lincoln tells him to take it easy. The movie manages to show us the personality of Stevens while also giving us a very fun character.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7Brh9iWajc

To be honest, Sally Field's performance seemed...alright. While her impression of Mary Todd Lincoln could have very well been accurate, I don't think it added that much to the movie. Mary is just another voice out of a dozen, telling Lincoln that he shouldn't support the 13th amendment. Also, Mary appears to be quite whiny, and she seems to cry quite a lot (but isn't that Sally Field's specialty?).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWb2u3xQnLc

While I previously mentioned the film was highly analyzed by historical scholars, most say that the majority of the film's content is actually quite accurate with only some mishaps in between. English professor from Saint Louis University Harold K. Bush writes, "much of the film rang true for historians. There are of course reservations...but there is clearly much for even the most veteran historians to admire in Lincoln" (Bush). While the film received a decent amount of praise from some of the toughest experts, some thought the movie had parts that felt lengthy, and dull.

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In Bush's article, history professor from the University of Notre Dame states, "an early review in the South Bend Tribune tempered its mild praise by saying the movie 'meandered' and...a reviewer in Notre Dame's student newspaper similarly made a few favorable comments before dropping the b-bomb ('boring')" (Bush). I can understand how some could find the movie to be boring, because it is not your typical Hollywood drama usually containing some action scenes or a steamy romance. Instead, Spielberg gives us a movie that is driven on dry facts and character development.

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Yes, the movie is pretty long, with a running time of 2 and a 1/2 hours. Within that generous amount of time however, the movie is filled with substance, rather than fluff. I think part of the reason the movie ran so long was because of the impressive use of character development. For instance, we see two different dimensions of Lincoln's personality: he is clearly painted as a quiet, likable storyteller who can also be an assertive and direct leader when he needs to be. The long running time is also due to the exciting build up to the January 31st vote in the House of Representatives for the 13th amendment. The House scenes were entertaining because the audience gets to see the different reactions coming from each representatives.

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There is also another build up which is followed by a rather immediate ending to the film: Lincoln's assassination. Not only do we get to see the theatre audience's response to the news, but also the reactions of Lincoln's closest family members such as his younger son Tad (Gulliver McGrath), his older son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and his wife. This highlights on just how tragic Lincoln's assassination really was.

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Lincoln is exactly what it has been labeled as: a historical drama. There are plenty of historical moments as well as dramatic moments. Spielberg succeeds in providing the audience with real facts as well as molding the film into an example of classic dramatic entertainment. History professor from Rutgers University Louis P. Masur writes, "Lincoln is nothing if not a Shakespearean tragedy. We get not only a doomed, ambitious hero with whom we identify, but also domestic drama (Sally Field captures the often difficult but sympathetic Mary Todd Lincoln...) and well-timed comic interludes (James Spader plays the political operative W.N. Bilbo, a Falstaffian character)" (Masur). The film is not some kind of lifeless PowerPoint presentation filled with mind-numbing facts, rather it is a spirited, engaging story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMbeRTjV8hE

I'm not kissing this movie's ass when I say that it is definitely one of the top dramas we've seen this decade. I say this because I find the film quite humble, showing us real historical substance rather than the standard melodrama in a lot of Hollywood movies (*cough cough* Titanic *cough cough*). I find it almost incredible that the film did not include a sex scene or any strongly violent scenes. I think this movie is too smart for that kind of crap. I'm not saying sex scenes, or violent scenes can't be effective (in fact, many times they are), but I don't think it would be necessary for this kind of film. This kind of film celebrates, but also unravels the character of one of the most well-known U.S. presidents of all time: Abraham Lincoln.