Lincoln
There are films that you instantly fall in love with and want to marry; and there are films you totally get and respect but don’t want to date. Lincoln is among the latter.
By the way if you read any reviews about Lincoln where the reviewer says “this is a film to take kids to” that person is full of shit. That’s such a non-statement. It’s not like you shouldn’t take a kid to see it after all it’s rated PG-13 even though James Spader yells out Fuck You and the opening sequence has a gory depiction of soldiers killing each other with bayonets in hand to hand combat.
Like some kid is going to understand the heaviosity taking place on screen. Lincoln has been in development for years and the completed film is directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner (award winning playwright) based on the book Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Pulitzer prize winning author) with an all-star cast. Take said kids to see Wreck-It Ralph; and maybe when they are adults then they can accept the fact that Lincoln lorded over the death of hundreds of Native Americans and untold thousands of Americans. Read what Russell Means has to say about Lincoln.
Spielberg’s movie takes place over a period of a few months, but they are tumultuous days and nights that include Lincoln’s re-election, his attempt to pass an amendment banning slavery and his assassination. The film has a look emphasized by Janusz Kaminski’s superb lighting that gives interiors a glow. Much of the film takes place inside and much of the dialogue takes on a theatrical shine. The way certain actors walk off into the distance talking adds to its theatricality. It’s like they are exiting stage right of history. Obviously the research that went into Lincoln is off the charts. In the 1860s political chicanery was an art form. Perhaps my favorite part was how the President used a surreptitious lobby to bribe other politicians to insure his amendment would pass. Chalk up another winner for Spielberg.
– Michael Bergeron
