Rated
PG-13 (An Intense Scene of War Violence, Some Images of Carnage and Brief
Strong Language)
Running
Time: 2 Hours & 29 Minutes
Cast-
Daniel
Day-Lewis-Abraham Lincoln
Sally
Field-Mary Todd Lincoln
Joseph
Gordon-Levitt-Robert Todd Lincoln
Gulliver
McGrath-Tad Lincoln
David
Strathairn-William Seward
Tommy
Lee Jones-Thaddeus Stevens
Hal
Holbrook-Francis Preston Blair
James
Spader-William N. Bilbo
John
Hawkes-Robert Latham
Tim
Blake Nelson-Richard Schell
Bruce
McGill-Edwin Stanton
Lee
Pace-Fernando Wood
Peter
McRobbie-George Pendleton
Michael
Stuhlbarg-George Yeaman
Boris
McGiver-Alexander Coffroth
Walton
Goggins-Clay Hutchins
Jared
Harris-General Ulysses S. Grant
Jackie
Earle Haley-Alexander Stephens
Gregory
Itzin-John A. Campbell
Gloria
Reuben-Elizabeth Keckley
David
Oyelowo-Corporal Ira Clark
Directed
by Steven Spielberg
 |
| Daniel Day-Lewis delivers the year's best performance in Steven Spielberg's latest film, "Lincoln." |
'A
house divided against itself cannot stand.' Although these words were spoken by
Abraham Lincoln 154 years ago in 1858, it remains surprisingly relevant today
given the recent presidential election, which was marked by bitter attacks from
both sides. It's ironic that director Steven Spielberg chose to release his
biographical drama film "Lincoln" at such a polarizing time, and
what's remarkable is that it shows how little
our country's politics have changed in the last 150 years. Much has been
already said about Lincoln, who has attained a near-mythological status, rising
from relative obscurity through honest hard work to lead the United States
through one of the bloodiest wars in history and end slavery at the same time. Despite
the title, Spielberg's film does not focus on Lincoln's life but instead on a
pivotal moment of his presidency: the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment and the
end of the American Civil War. While it feels more suited as a stage play than
as a film, "Lincoln" remains a compelling and poignant portrait of an
American legend thanks to another superb performance from Daniel Day-Lewis.
It
is 1865 and the Civil War rages on in its fourth year with no end in sight.
Visiting a Union Army camp, President Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis)
listens to two African American soldiers recount a recent battle against the
Confederates. The younger of the two soldiers expresses his desire to move up
the ranks and maybe work for Lincoln himself one day, which makes Lincoln smile
with pride. Two white soldiers, newly enlisted, approach Lincoln and proclaim
their admiration of him by reciting the Gettysburg Address from memory.
However, they become flustered and forget the last sentence, leaving the
younger African American soldier to recite the final line. Returning to the
White House, Lincoln begins to push for the ratification of the Thirteenth
Amendment which will formally abolish slavery. To gather the necessary
two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, Secretary of State William
Seward (David Strathairn) enlists the aid of three lobbyists, William N. Bilbo
(James Spader), Robert Latham (John Hawkes), and Richard Schell (Tim Blake
Nelson), to convince several Democrats to either switch or abstain their votes.
As Seward works to get the Amendment passed, Lincoln faces trouble at home,
with eldest son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) frustrated at his parent's refusal
to let him join the Union Army and help in the war effort while First Lady Mary
Todd (Sally Field) continues to mourn the death of their son Willie a few years
earlier. The weary President finds solace in the arms of young Tad (Gulliver
McGrath), who often runs amok in the White House dressed in the attire of a
Union soldier. Meanwhile, the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment hits a snag
when rumors of a peace delegation from the Confederacy reach the ears of
Lincoln's Cabinet. Lincoln is faced with a difficult choice: save the lives of
thousands of soldiers by ending the Civil War now or grant freedom to the
millions of slaves living in the South by passing the Thirteenth Amendment
first.
"Lincoln" is an atypical biopic, focusing less on our nation's
sixteenth President and more on the difficulty in getting the Thirteenth
Amendment ratified. What's striking about Spielberg's film is that the politics
of 1865 is no different from the politics of today, although Republicans were
ironically seen as 'radical' with their anti-slavery views while Democrats
quoted the Bible to justify their conservative values. Seeing the two factions bicker
in the House of Representatives invites quite a few eerie comparisons to our
time. At one point, New York Congressman Fernando Wood (Lee Pace) proclaims
that 'Congress must never declare equal those whom GOD created unequal,' which
recalls the current issue of same-sex marriage, with those who oppose it often
citing religious reasons. Written by playwright Tony Kushner and based on Doris
Kearns Goodwin's 2005 biography Team of
Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, the depiction of Lincoln
himself leans toward the saintly kind as he moves about delivering humorous anecdotes,
poking and prodding his men to do what is morally right. However, he's not
exactly the 'Honest Abe' that we've
read about in school as he is forced to resort to less-than savory means to get
the Amendment passed. This means having his closest confidante, Secretary of
State William Seward, employ three lobbyists to basically bribe (called
'patronage') twenty Democrats to either abstain from voting or switch sides. Lobbying
hasn't changed much in modern times and continues to be a controversial practice,
even if you're fighting for a good cause. This leads to a hilarious montage
that includes one Democrat shooting at Spader's William N. Bilbo. In order to
buy enough time, Lincoln even asks General Ulysses S. Grant (Jared Harris) to
delay the Confederate peace delegation and lies
to the Democrats that there is no such peace offer on the table. This in no way
demonizes Lincoln but instead emphasizes the fact that he knew how to play the
political game, which sometimes meant getting your hands dirty. As soft-spoken
as he was, there was a fire within Lincoln and he wasn't afraid to show it,
slamming his hand on the table during a powerful scene where he orders his
Cabinet to stop squabbling and do what is necessary to get the Amendment
through. The story's narrow focus lends "Lincoln" a stage-bound feel,
with much the drama taking place behind closed doors yet it maintains a grasp
on the cinematic thanks to Janusz Kamiński's cinematography, where sun rays
pierce through the windows of the White House, inviting a rustic ambience that
is occasionally interrupted by the horrors of war. Since this is a historical
film, we already know that the Thirteenth Amendment did pass but Kushner and Spielberg still manage to create an
atmosphere of suspense as the votes are slowly tallied up, juxtaposed with
scenes of Lincoln quietly sitting in his office as his son Tad runs about. The
film ends with his inevitable assassination and yes, we know its coming but it
still hits you emotionally. 'Now he belongs to the ages,' a mournful Edwin
Stanton (Bruce McGill) remarks. There are times when Spielberg indulges in
moments of schmaltz but he treats Abraham Lincoln with the respect and
reverence that he deserves, serving as a reminder of what democracy can
accomplish when you have a leader who leads with words.
Daniel Day-Lewis, what more can be said about him? No amount
of praise can describe his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, which ranks as the best performance of the year, no
contest. Tall, lanky, his face wrinkled from the burdens of leading a fractured
country, it's as if Lincoln himself was still alive. Lewis captures the humble
and quiet dignity of the man but also his frustrations as he struggles to not
only keep his troubled wife from falling apart but also his Cabinet. Sally
Field is excellent as Lincoln's long-suffering wife, Mary Todd, while David
Strathairn is the voice of reason as William Seward. Joseph Gordon-Levitt pops
up briefly as eldest son Robert Todd Lincoln but his screen-time is too limited
to make much of an impression. Tommy Lee Jones, the only actor able to hold the
screen with Lewis, is enjoyable and at times hilarious as hardline Republican
abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, who is a force of nature in the House Chamber
yet can be self-deprecating when he needs to be, such as mocking himself for
wearing an obviously terrible wig. James Spader, John Hawkes, and Tim Blake
Nelson make for a fun trio as three lobbyists working in secret to get the
Thirteenth Amendment passed, offering a birds-eye view of the history being
made before their eyes. A number of familiar faces such as Jared Harris, Jackie
Earle Haley, Gregory Itzin, and Walton Goggins have minor supporting roles,
adding to the already incredible talent on display.
In limited release since
November 9, 2012, "Lincoln" has received critical acclaim with 91% on
Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as a 'witty, dignified portrait of [an]
American icon that immerses the audience in its world and entertains even as it
informs.' The audience greeted the film with applause at the advance screening
this past Thursday, with many staying through the end credits to listen to John
William's score. It may have only been shown in eleven theaters but
"Lincoln" had an impressive per-theater average of $81,818 this past
weekend, which suggests a healthy run at the box office. Its character-driven
drama and stage-bound quality won't appeal to everyone but "Lincoln" is
an excellent film in its own right thanks to the subtle gravitas Daniel
Day-Lewis lends to this great historical figure. I bet Lincoln himself would be
proud of Spielberg's film if he was still alive today.
Final
Rating: 5 out of 5
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