I can admit that I knew the ending. Goodness, I knew the major plot highlights. Still, what a great movie. What a great story. What a great moment in history.
All of that said, of course, the movie also greatly highlights the dirt that is politics. And the low that the deals were as portrayed for passing our Thirteenth Amendment, well, for me, that’s one of those moments of self-realization in which one can understand the dirty deals for the greater good. Of course, the problem is that we often disagree on what is the greater good. And so politics continue to spin, dirty and low.
Daniel Day Lewis delivers—–and then some. He has a quiet presence that I can only imagine, but that I truly imagine, was Lincoln’s. He portrays a confidence and an arrogance and a wisdom without, to me, ever overacting the part—–ever. He highlights the keen ability Lincoln had to understand the broader picture, to negotiate, to deal, to govern. But as I said, politics is dirty.
Sally Field is a gem, as always. From pictures I’ve seen to history I’ve read about the First Lady of then, her performance, carriage, and slight insight into her deeper issues all nailed it.
And the oh-so-may supporting actors who came together to play the roles of those of this time in history ran the gamut—-all fabulously. The crown of those supporting roles is played by Tommy Lee Jones—-what a treat to watch him in this different role. And what a treat to watch unfold his wisdom—-and his heart—over, as I believe it to have been, the greater good.
Seeing this movie less than a week after Django Unchained probably affects my adoration of it even more—-making it even more. I cried, tears streaming, at the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment. I am sure I would have even had I not been so vividly reminded of the hell that was slavery just days ago, but I also have no doubt that having watched Django four days ago did pull at the limits of my subconscious and foster some of those tears. (Interestingly, this film was released more than a month before Django, so no, there was no grand scheme.)
I’ve said before that I’m not a huge Tarantino fan, but Spielberg—-wow. He did things with angles and shots that were pure beauty. And although I loved Les Mis, Spielberg used *his* ultra-close-ups as art and emotion, not so much as in-your-face to watch someone sing.
Finally, the story. I have great admiration and respect for Doris Kearns Goodwin, a political historian and the author of the biography on which this film is based. I asked my movie companion, a much better student of history and politics than me, his take. He liked it too. And he seemed not to have any quibble with any of the story. Like I said: I have great respect for Goodwin, so this does not surprise.
Great movie. Great story. Great moment of the greater good that helped save our nation.