Lincoln (2012)

Lincoln is a historical drama that tells the story of how American President Abraham Lincoln struggles with divisions in his party and the opposition over the decision to emancipate slavery, while the Civil War continues to wage on.

Overall Review Score

5.5 out of 10

Review

Directed by Steven Spielberg and wrote by Tony Kushner, Lincoln is a historical biopic that is loosely based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s biography, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Set in Washington D.C. during 1865, it details the last four months of the Presidents life and his steely determination to have the Thirteenth Amendment (abolishment of slavery) passed by Congress. Daniel Day-Lewis’s portrayal of Lincoln is spine-tingly accurate to the point the audience will forget they are watching a movie. However, the films decision to gloss over Lincoln’s flaws and deliver a slightly modified version of historical events coupled with limited action drags the film down and distracts from Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance. Away from this, the film features reasonably good acting and a politically driven script but its overreliance on conveying information in wordy dialogue and its rather short, anti-climatic ending will turn off modern ‘action driven’ audiences. Overall, Lincoln delivers a political thriller about one of the darkest epochs in American history and serves as homage to a wartime President in an intimate and decorous manner.

Reviewer 1's score & comments:

Score: 5 out of 10

Comments:

Lincoln is a 2012 144 minute, biographical account of Abraham Lincoln’s political struggle to gain emancipation (freedom) for slaves. While an early scene showcases a fight between Confederate and Unionist forces, Lincoln does not solely focus on the human element of the Civil war as I had expected. Instead, the film portrays a rather mediocre political drama that includes backhanded deals, secret meetings in dark smoke filled rooms and general indecisiveness from members of the Democrats and the Republicans. That culminates in a political struggle centering on the President (Daniel Day-Lewis) trying to secure enough votes to pass the 13th amendment to end slavery.

Reviewer 2's score & comments:

Score: 6 out of 10

Comments:

Lincoln is a historical drama driven by politics. While the entire of Abraham Lincoln’s time as President could have been included, the decision to focus on the last four months of his Presidency and especially his attempts to quash slavery through the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment speaks volumes about what Director Steven Spielberg wanted to get across with this film. On one hand, it explains the back room deals needed to push legislation through the Capitol, while on the other hand demonstrating the human-side of one of America’s most revered Presidents.

#history #drama #biography #tommyleejones #danieldaylewis