My Writings
Review - Lincoln (2012)
Steven Spielberg has made quite a radical departure from his back catalogue with this talky political drama that deals with the last few months of one of America's most important and beloved presidents. Abraham Lincoln's life was so eventful, rising from a childhood of poverty, through many tragedies as loved ones died, his mother when he was 9, his elder sister who raised him, when she was 20 and even his fiance, also 20. Add to this his increasingly distant relationship with his father, and his self taught rise through law into politics and there is plenty of material to go at, and that is even before the main course, the fight to abolish slavery (The 13th amendment to the constitution), and of course the epic nature of the American Civil War, which sprang from that fight. No wonder Spielberg kept changing his mind about whether he should make the movie, having bought the rights to do so, from writer Kearns Goodwin (Team of Rivals : the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln)
Latest Works
The question remained, what should the scope of the movie be? Even covering the events of 1865, which include the passing of the bill, the end of the war and Lincoln's assassination took 550 pages when Spielberg's hired playwright (Tony Kushner) first submitted his draft. Spielberg answered the question at that point: the film would concentrate a small section of the draft, and upon the political intrigue that was at the heart of Goodwin's book, namely the passing of the 13th Amendment. A good decision. Even so Spielberg decided that he wouldn't even make the movie unless he could get Daniel Day-Lewis, who promptly refused, until his cohort from Gangs Of New York, Leonardo di Caprio persuaded him to do it. Another good decision. Day-Lewis was superb in this, and will easily win the Best Actor at next months's Academy Awards.
The movie is 2.5 hours long and has lots and lots of dialogue, but benefits from a brilliant central performance, and an excellent supporting cast, including David Straitharn as Secretary of State (William Seward), Tommy Lee Jones as staunch pro-abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, Sally Field as wife Mary Todd, and a trio of political lobbyists, James Spader, John Hawkes and Tim Blake Nelson. Lincoln needs to acquire 20 votes to pass the bill, but the Confederates are making overtures to end the war. Lincoln is persuaded that the best chance to pass the amendment is before the end of the war, and is so determined to do so, he risks prolonging the war, the death of his political career and even flirts with impeachment...