Directed by Steven Spielberg, this is an outstanding historical docu-drama with an outstanding cast and attention to detail. It comes highly recommended. It is also a story about how sometimes humanity can learn unpalatable lessons and right wrongs, even in a hesitant stepwise fashion. At that time there was uproar in Congress at even the mention that one day negroes and women might want to be given the right to vote!
Daniel Day Lewis is superb as America's most iconic President, and is ably supported by Sally Field as his wife Mary (Molly) and Tommy Lee Jones as Republican Thaddeus Stephens, a passionate supporter of the proposed Constitutional Amendment to end slavery. Lincoln's tall, stooped and gangly appearance, gait and fragile health make you wonder whether he was beset by Marfan's Syndrome.
There is an intensity of emotion and regard in the relationship between Lincoln and Molly, who is clearly depressed and low on self-esteem following the death of one of their sons. Despite the limited understanding of mental health issues at the time, after one fiery exchange regarding her preoccupation with her grief, Lincoln is compassionate and kind and acknowledges his own deep feelings of loss. Molly also gives an impressive speech "dressing down" Thaddeus Stephens at a reception at the White House following this emotional exchange. At the end of the film it is revealed that the love of Stephen's life is his negro housekeeper, and he takes the ratified Amendment home to show her.
The apparent authenticity of the settings, costumes and battlefield scenes is impressive. Many meetings are held in dark smoky rooms, and there is almost a feeling of historical imprint through the drab washed-out interior colours. John Williams has written a splendid film score, and the other music used (classical and otherwise) is entirely appropriate.
The political machinations are highly reminiscent of "The West Wing". Lincoln must find a way both to ensure passage of the Amendment and end the highly destructive and costly Civil War. He enlists the help of various trusty lieutenants, including a smokin' and drinkin' charistmatic James Spader. They use patronage effectively to buy votes amongst the Democrats (ironic that at this point in American history they were the conservatives) and closer to the vote Lincoln himself makes various house calls to try to persuade a number of Democrat congressmen to vote 'aye'.
Lincoln comes across as humble, thoughtful but passionate and a masterful persuader. He loves to tell allegorical stories in a laconic fashion, and reveals something of his humble beginnings and a difficult childhood with a harsh father. He is also a clever lawyer and gives a marvellous speech explaining the exigencies and uncertainties of proclamations affecting legal rights made in war time. Various newspaper reviewers have remarked on his speech to a couple of his young colleagues just before he sends a telegraph transmission to delay the arrival of the Confederate peace envoys in Washington until after the vote has taken place. In this he refers to a logical proposition of Euclid which says in essence that things that are equal are equal to each other, and this two thousand year old wisdom can equally be applied to human beings.
It is a tragedy that Lincoln was assassinated in just the first year of his second term, having gained both passage of the Amendment and the end of the Civil War. I loved the historical touch that the doctor who declares "the President is no more" uses an old-fashioned Pinard stethoscope to listen for his absent heartbeat (these days generally only used (rarely in Australia) to listen for foetal heartbeats).
It also struck me that, in the context of the current American debate about reforming gun laws, it is a lesson still unlearned that so many of its inspirational leaders have been cut down in their prime by a gun: Lincoln, John and Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King ... As Spanish philosopher George Santayana famously said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".
Debating passage of the Amendment caused Lincoln and those in Congress to examine their consciences and look at the ethics of right and wrong, and even in our time it is a powerful allegorical tale to remind us that there are still many wrongs to be righted and many injustices in the world where we can still do better. Even if you are not particularly interested in American history, it is what it has to say about humanity as a whole that makes it compelling viewing. Without vision and the passion to militate for change things which are equal would still not be regarded as equal to each other.
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