Lincoln (2012) is a film based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. The film recounts Abraham Lincoln’s determination to procure the passage for the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America which would eliminate slavery. In the film, Lincoln is confronted by political crisis – to end the war or to end slavery or to end both; and domestic crisis – the family’s coping with his eldest son’s death.
Lincoln (2012) is suave and witty that is passionately colored with conflicting emotions and values that aim to persuade. Its oftentimes melancholic montage accounts for the 19th century cadence of living. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski’s historical composition of the 19th century where the future is in question because of inequality and war is classic.
Avy Kaufman’s casting especially the lead actors in Daniel Day-Lewis (Abraham Lincoln), Sally Field (Mary Todd Lincoln), David Strathairn (William Seward) and Tommy Lee-Jones (Thaddeus Stevens) is stellar and well-thought of. Day-Lewis’ towering portrayal of Lincoln brings Abraham back to life. His screen presence is undoubtedly Abraham. He is Abraham. His Oscar (2013) nomination and victory is well-deserved. Field’s embodiment of Mary Todd Lincoln as emotionally unstable due to the family crisis is noteworthy. Strathairn’s performance as a Secretary of State creates an impression of a man that is trying to balance loyalty to Lincoln as the President and his role of appeasing political rivals and foreign countries in the course of the Civil War. Lee-Jones nicely reveals a seemingly unbending character but his bravado was later directed to the passage of the 13th Amendment.
Though the historical accuracy of Lincoln’s dialogue in the film may be in question, Tony Kushner’s screenplay is deep and thought-provoking. It intensified the superb acting of the actors especially Day-Lewis.
Lincoln (2012) opens with the Civil War. War as it is usually claimed by opposing camps to be noble has only losers. War may have been statistically won but an insurmountable defeat looms in wrecked properties, families and sanity. Its moral implication to the 5th Commandment – Thou shall not kill, not only refers to the physical killing but also to the psychological and spiritual killing to those who experience trauma as an after effect of war.
Lincoln’s passion for equality as manifested in his logical and humane reasoning to critics and relentless persuasion and efforts to secure the votes he needed exudes an enlightened conscience. Being the President of the United States, he is a man of immense power and he used that acclaim to pursue the 13th Amendment. Indeed, a person who takes care of his inner self as portrayed in the scenes where he is left alone thinking deeply is able to contemplate for the better good.
Slavery as an effect of racial discrimination where black people were not even considered as a citizen of the country is the focal point of the 13th Amendment. Its moral repercussion to equality and respect for human dignity is critically urgent. And Lincoln was able to sense that urgency. His human reasoning for equality is inspired by Euclid’s Equality Theory which says, “Things which are equal to the same thing are also equal to one another.” The Catholic faith recognizes the importance of equality where its teachings can be referenced to many Church documents like Gaudium et Spes.
Pre-marital sex is implied and subtle at the end of the film where Stevens is shown to be sleeping with his “slave”. Its moral insinuation violates the Sanctity of Marriage.
While the 13th Amendment has been procured in the 19th century and several teachings of the Catholic Church call for equality, inequality continues to haunt many in poverty as well as in the reality of the enormous gap between the rich and the poor.
The slow paced rhythm of the film as well as the heavy dialogue may not be as appealing to the young who is used to the fast paced movie genres. Nevertheless, the film can be used as a supplement to history readings and studies. For Filipinos and other nationalities that do not cover American history in their curriculum, it is advisable to have some reading on what the 13th Amendment is all about in order to have a good grasp on the film and appreciate the importance of its history.
(4.5, 2.5/5)
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© rooks 2013
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