Yesterday, I watched the Steven Spielberg film Lincoln. Man, was I impressed. A film that captures your attention from the first second on and doesn’t let go for the next two and a half hours. The film follows President Abraham Lincoln through the trials and tribulations surrounding the ratification of the 13th Amendment (the one abolishing slavery) by the House of Representatives in Washington D.C. All the while, the Civil War rages on and a peace is slowly being made.
The film revels in dark tonality. A lot of the film takes place in dark interiors and in dark color tones. This is a different White House from “The West Wing”. The color palette of the movie is clearly inspired by the baroque. The characters cast long shadows, and there is a lot of natural light.
The performances then. Of course, Daniel Day-Lewis shines as Abe Lincoln. His eery voice proclaims freedom and equality for all. More of a pragmatist than an idealist, Lincoln tells stories, convinces enemies and is truly superb. Even the small moves like the setting of a hat on the floor is so masterfully executed that you can’t help but be in awe of this kind of acting. Day-Lewis is unsurprisingly a maestro of acting.
The film is full of great performances and filled with great actors. Tommy Lee Jones, Jared Harris and so many more. There is not a weak performance in the film, including a brilliant Dane DeHaan as a nameless soldier.
Surprising for a Spielberg film, there is a delicate use of music in the film. There isn’t a lot of score in the film. Spielberg lets the actors speak for themselves. They don’t need music. Sally Fields can do just fine without a triumphant soundtrack. When it is used, however, it is pitch-perfect.
The only downside to the film is the contrast between the scenes in Washington D.C. and those on the battlefield. The battlefield scenes sometimes look as if they were shot in Technicolor. That cannot have been the intention. As I said, that is the only negative point I can think of. Lincoln is a film you just have to see.
Grarain 