Lincoln has a lot of similarities with the Master. Both directed by great filmmakers, the films themselves aim high, but are more artistic than theatrical. Watching Lincoln was like looking at the Mona Lisa. You admire what it is and what it is doing, but after you leave it you feel a little empty inside. Lincoln does great service to the man of the title, but doesn’t do enough to leave a lasting impression on its audience.
The previews do Lincoln a disservice. This movie is not about high-minded rhetoric from the deified Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis). It is about a master politician and lawyer Lincoln who tells lengthy stories with questionable humor and subject material. In other words, a REAL Lincoln. The story focuses on how the Thirteenth Amendment (abolishing slavery) came into being. Up to its passage we see Lincoln deal with the various players: William Seward (Secretary of State, David Straithairn), Preston Reid (Republican Lobbyist, Hal Holbrook), and Thaddeus Stevens (Right-wing Republican, Tommy Lee Jones), among others. We also get to see how the amendment’s passage affects Mary Todd (Sally Field) and son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt).
Lincoln is one of the best movies about the political process I have seen, right up there with the Campaign which focused more on running and not governing. What amazes me is how similar politics from the 1860s resembles today. Both sides attempt to vilify the other, and voting against party is considered a treasonous affair to the betrayed party. Quid pro quo is vilified in the press but used ad nauseam behind closed doors. Religion is used as a defense against the rights of individuals. You’d think politicians would get bored talking about the SAME issues over and over again. Lincoln’s better moments are watching the man use stories/parables to get them to do what he wants. The stories range from melodic to very boring, but always serve a purpose for the situation at hand. The big takeaway is how calculating politicians can be; every decision they make is analyzed to know how they will look in the short as well as the long-term.
Lincoln also suffers from the overstuffed movie syndrome. In the attempt to three dimensionalize every character, there are 10-15 characters Director Steven Spielberg needs to attend do. His results are mixed at best. Thaddeus Stevens, Preston Blair, and George Yeaman are given necessary depth to make the story more interesting. The family and war sides of the story do not fare as well. By trying to show how much Lincoln’s lack of emotion hurts his family, Spielberg paints Mary Todd and Robert Lincoln as one note characters. Ulysses S Grant is barely in the movie at all, and his part could probably be excised. By removing that 20-30 minutes of story, Lincoln could focus more on its main attraction.
And what an attraction it is. I know of no one person who disagreed with the casting of Daniel Day-Lewis as the 16th President. Playing Abraham Lincoln with success requires commitment, study, and nuance. In all of Lewis’s roles, he’s known for his character immersion, and it is none more evident here as good ol’ Honest Abe. You can see the calculation and intensity of a really good lawyer as well as some hidden emotional hurt from his trials as the leader of the free world. Never once did I see an actor playing the President, I only saw the President, all credit to Mr. Day-Lewis. A cast of thousands turn up in this movie, many of which can carry movies on their own but wanted to play bit parts in Lincoln. Tommy Lee Jones gets the most screen time and is pretty funny and interesting as Thaddeus Stevens. James Spader, John Hawkes, Michael Stuhlbarg, Hal Holbrook,and David Strathairn give solid support. Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Jared Harris come off shrill or unnecessary. The rest of the cast is filled with other recognizable faces, one of the fun subplots for the audience.
I feel like I now know the honest Abraham Lincoln after watching Spielberg’s latest effort. Perhaps his best accomplishment is leaving Lincoln’s legacy still very well in tact. No one will think terribly less of the man for doing what he thought was right as best he could; it still hurt to see that final scene after the night at Ford’s theatre. Lincoln will be seen for years (along with Saving Private Ryan) by US history classes across the country. Perhaps that’s why Spielberg made Lincoln; like the President, he wants to make sure his legacy is secure.