LINCOLN (2012)

[indianasmith]

  I have been looking forward to this film for some time, and tonight my wife and I went with two of our friends to see it.  I have admired Abraham Lincoln for my entire adult life, and have probably read about 30 books on him over the years.  I know that many Libertarians do not care for Lincoln because of his aggressive use of Executive power and his relentless opposition to the "right" of secession; this is an area where I have always disagreed.  What I have always admired about Lincoln was his unrelenting hatred of slavery, his consummate political skills, his incredible rise from obscurity to the nation's highest office, and his soaring eloquence that makes his words immortal.
   At the same time, Lincoln was a man subject to deep depression, married to an unbalanced woman whose mind was half destroyed be the death of two of their sons and crippling migraine headaches.  He could be duplicitous, ambitious, conniving, and ruthless.
  Spielberg's movie shows us Lincoln with all his flaws and all his greatness. Daniel Day-Lewis' performance is truly amazing - it is easy to forget that you are not looking at the real Abraham Lincoln at times. Lewis has brought our sixteenth President to life in a performance that is, purely and simply, the best portrayal of any American President ever done by any actor.
  The supporting cast is superb.  Sally Fields is alternately crazy, pitiful, and powerful as Mary Todd Lincoln, and Tommy Lee Jones is brilliant in his portrayal of the Radical Republican and abolitiionist, Thaddeus Stevens. Even the minor actors do good service to their roles, and there is not a person in the movie who is not believable in the part they play.
  The movie is long, and there are a few scenes that drag a bit, but overall, it is a cinematic triumph.  Those who dislike Lincoln will find some scenes that bolster that disdain; those (like me) who believe that he was our greatest President will also find ample material to support that position.  The battle scenes, though few in number, were quite brutal, and the set is remarkable.  There is some pretty rough language in places - a bit suprisingly so - but, in real life, people swear, and the movie incorporates the profanity without wallowing in it.
  The focus of the movie is not on all of Lincoln's life, but rather on the tremendous battle he fought in January and February of 1865 to secure passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which forever abolished slavery.  The Senate had passed the amendmen in 1863, and in the House, the opposition was determined and entrenched.  Knowing that the war was nearing its end, and that with the return of peace passage of the Amendment might become politically impossible, Lincoln pulled out all the stops in an attempt to secure the 20 votes he needed to get the 2/3 majority required to send the Amendment to the States for ratification.  The movie is dialogue-heavy and very dramatic, but the triumphant passage of the Amendment is an appropriate climax.
  The movie does meander a bit near the end, but the last scenes brought tears to my eyes.  If you love American history, you need to see this movie.  If you love or hate Abraham Lincoln, you need to see this movie.  This one will probably win some Oscars - and rightly so.

[HappyGilmore]

I want to see this. I'll likely catch it next weekend.

I am a Libertarian, but Lincoln remains my favorite president regardless.

I've only seen one other Spielberg film, so this'll be #2.

[Allhallowsday]

The Republican party of LINCOLN's era was very different from what we know the party as representing today (good and bad).  I agree, Indy: LINCOLN was our greatest President.  I am looking forward to seeing this film over the Christmas holiday. 

[lester1/2jr]

I'll be passing on this one, mostly because it looks boring. They should have called it "The Great Centralizer" and focused on stuff like Sherman's march, Morril tariff, etc 

[indianasmith]

Hee hee . . . I was wondering when you would weigh in!
OF COURSE, raising the tariff is way more exciting than championing a Constitutional amendment banning slavery forever!

As for Sherman's march . . . well, you sow what you reap. Southerners whine and moan about it, but for the almost 1 million black slaves in the route of Sherman's columns, it was the Year of Jubilee!!!!

[lester1/2jr]

 

[ulthar]

Indeed.

[The Burgomaster]

I thought it was a well-made film all the way around.  Crisp dialogue, strong acting, impressive sets and costumes.  This will get a slew of Oscar nominations and several wins.  It definitely is not a movie for everyone.  I can see plenty of people being bored to death by all the talky politics.  But, for me, the 2 1/2 hours went by quickly and I'm glad I spent the money to see it.

[Pacman000]

I saw this over the weekend.  It was a bit slow, but it was good.  I don't want to watch it everyday, but it was good to see.  And, yes, the acting was good.

[Kaseykockroach]

Mundane white guilt trip.

[El Misfit]

I heard that Lincoln was doing well in theatres, seems to be inaccurate. I kid, however, I do not have any intention to go see it, because it reeks of Oscar winning material.

[indianasmith]

My daughter really wanted to see this, so tonight I took her and sat through the film a second time.  It held up very well on a second viewing, and being familiar with the story and the dialogue, I was better able to focus on the small details of the film.  It was correct in so many very small details; also I was able to really focus on Daniel Day-Lewis' mannerisms, movements, and poses as well as his acting.  Or perhaps I should say, on that aspect of his performance.  The realism is stunning.  I have read many of the descriptions of Lincoln from men who knew him - his discomfort with gloves, his fondness for draping a shawl across his shoulders in chilly weather, his penchant for storytelling that drove his cabinet to distraction - and there is simply nothing in this film that does not ring true.  I am still deeply impressed!

[CheezeFlixz]

The Republican party of LINCOLN's era was very different from what we know the party as representing today (good and bad).  I agree, Indy: LINCOLN was our greatest President.  I am looking forward to seeing this film over the Christmas holiday. 

Yea the Republicans had Jim Crow, KKK, Bull Connor, George Wallace, Orval Faubus ... wait no that was the Democrats, sorry my bad.

I haven't seen Lincoln yet - I'll likely wait for the DVD or catch it streaming.
 

[Allhallowsday]

The Republican party of LINCOLN's era was very different from what we know the party as representing today (good and bad).  I agree, Indy: LINCOLN was our greatest President.  I am looking forward to seeing this film over the Christmas holiday. 

Yea the Republicans had Jim Crow, KKK, Bull Connor, George Wallace, Orval Faubus ... wait no that was the Democrats, sorry my bad.
I haven't seen Lincoln yet - I'll likely wait for the DVD or catch it streaming.

And today it'd be the Republicans.     Like I wrote, "...very different..."

[CheezeFlixz]

The Republican party of LINCOLN's era was very different from what we know the party as representing today (good and bad).  I agree, Indy: LINCOLN was our greatest President.  I am looking forward to seeing this film over the Christmas holiday. 

Yea the Republicans had Jim Crow, KKK, Bull Connor, George Wallace, Orval Faubus ... wait no that was the Democrats, sorry my bad.
I haven't seen Lincoln yet - I'll likely wait for the DVD or catch it streaming.

And today it'd be the Republicans.     Like I wrote, "...very different..."

No matter how long I stay gone you just refuse to educate yourself - government dependency is modern slavery. Which party works to keep people on the dole?