"Slavery Sir, is done." - President Lincoln to Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2012)

Well I've taken my time getting to this review. I've seen the picture twice and I'll probably see it again before it leaves the theaters. Part of my delay has to do with feeling somewhat inadequate to comment on a film of such tremendous scope and impact. It's almost as if a few words can't do justice to the exemplary talents of those involved and for the important event in our country's history that's related on screen. So I'll do my best.
The movie is simply a tour de force of film making. Attention to period detail and dialog makes for a rewarding viewing experience, and the players selected for their individual roles couldn't have been better. The accolades for Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field and David Strathairn go without saying, but even the lesser supporting roles lend an incredible authenticity and drama to the story. Particularly effective are the machinations involved by the political heavyweights of the day to secure passage of the Thirteenth Amendment. One doesn't attribute such shenanigans to historical figures of the past, and this film is a reminder that back room deals and bribery were as commonplace as they are today, right down to the role of influence peddlers like Bilbo (James Spader) and Latham (John Hawkes).
Aside from the main story, the scene that gripped me the most had to do with President Lincoln's heart wrenching argument with wife Mary over their son's (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) insistence on joining the Union Army. What little I know about Mrs. Lincoln's struggle with mental illness was dramatically showcased here in a very tough scene that almost overpowered the main story. I can't stop thinking about it.
With the benefit of a few weeks gone by now since the picture opened, there's another perspective I'd like to bring to the fore. Like many other movie goers, I caught "The Hobbit" yesterday, and even before the opening weekend has been completed, that picture has over forty eight thousand viewer ratings and over three hundred reviews already. Here "Lincoln" sits with just over seventeen thousand ratings and two hundred plus reviews as I'm writing this, and I think that in itself says something about priorities or lack thereof. Already "Lincoln" is fading in theaters with limited show times and for what it's worth, that just seems a little troubling to me.
One final thing, and that's in the interest of full disclosure. My best friend happened to answer an open casting call for "Lincoln" and wound up with an uncredited appearance in the movie as one of Lincoln's 'radical' Northern Congressman. It would be easy enough to describe him as the one with the long white hair and beard who resembles Santa Claus, but that would cover most of the radical Northern Congressman. His name is John Dever and he appears primarily in crowd scenes, but if you pay attention you can catch him during Senator Thaddeus Stevens' impassioned speech in support of passing the Thirteenth Amendment. In one of Tommy Lee Jones' facial close-ups on screen, John can be seen right behind the senator's left ear. Every actor has to start somewhere.