Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln takes a
small chunk of Abraham Lincoln’s remarkable life and brings to the big screen a
momentous moment in American history. Set in the early months of 1865 with the
Civil War still raging after four years, US
President Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis), fresh off the back of a second
election win is trying to pass the 13th Amendment to the
Constitution which will abolish slavery for good from the United States.
The issue, which was one of the reasons America became divided in the first
place is just as divisive in the House of Representatives where Lincoln and his
Republican Party need a two-thirds majority for the Amendment to pass. Through
rhetoric, barter, pleading and persistence, Lincoln and his staff try to sway the votes
of twenty lame duck Democrats before the session comes to a close.
Lincoln is a
fascinating film which treats its audience as intellectual equals and doesn’t
shy away from long passages of legal and political spiel. Having studied
Politics and University and with an interest in the American Civil War, the
film was always going to grab my attention but even those who know little of
the period will find some interest in the deeply woven script and fantastic
performances.
