Very Civil, But No War

Lincoln

Dir: Steven Spielberg

Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones

Set during the height of the American Civil War, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln is a bio-epic that covers the final four months of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, in which he attempts to have the 13th Amendment (the abolition of slavery) passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The movie explores the political decisions that Abraham Lincoln made in the pursuit of liberty, as well as addressing his personal struggles with his long-suffering wife and determined son.

Upon watching the film, Spielberg’s eye for detail is immediately apparent; which is perhaps unsurprising considering he spent the best part of twelve years researching the Abraham Lincoln in preparation for the film. The director therefore manages to effectively capture the backroom zeitgeist of Lincoln’s presidency, whilst also inspiring yet another powerhouse performance from the formidable Daniel Day-Lewis, who is clearly enjoying a colossal rôle in which he can totally immerse himself. The supporting cast also provide the sort of theatrical, dignified performances that one would expect in a grandiose film helmed by one of the most celebrated directors in movie history. However, the accuracy and intensity of the performances fail to reconcile the movie’s almost total lack of entertainment value.

Lincoln’s theatrical narrative is an arduous drama of missed opportunities. Outside of the short opening scenes in which battle-weary soldiers have an audience with The President, the majority of the film’s ‘action’ focuses on the paperwork being done by comfortable, well-dressed, white politicians. Understandably, the motivation behind the piece is clearly an adoration of Abraham Lincoln, and the great contribution he made to American history. Yet for a storyteller of Spielberg’s calibre, there is very little to entertain an audience who desire something more than backroom historical accuracy. We hear immaculately costumed men discuss bloody battles that the audience does not see. We hear about the misery and injustice of slavery without a single victim of the genocide being given adequate screen time. Even when the time arrives for the president’s famous demise in Ford’s theatre at the hands of John Wilkes Booth – the assassination is announced, but not shown on screen.

Considering that the director of Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List acquired a $65million budget to make this two and a half hour historical epic, the end product is a well-acted stage drama that doesn’t attempt to address the brutal or holocaustic events of the time period. In spite of Daniel Day-Lewis’ exceptional central performance, Lincoln is a struggle to enjoy if you are expecting anything more than a period political drama. Those interested in Lincoln’s presidency will love it, those wishing to be entertained at the cinema will not.

5 / 10