a great film

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2017)

No question this film will endure as one of the great historical/biographical cinematic masterpieces, right up there with "Lawrence of Arabia," "Becket," and "A Man for all Seasons" (the version with Paul Scofield). First off, Daniel Day Lewis' performance as Lincoln is stunning, fully demonstrating Lincoln's indomitable will, his political cunning, and both his humor and his melancholy. Sally Field as Mary Lincoln shows she is a great actress. Tommy Lee Jones shines as Thaddeus Stevens. The host of great supporting actors is too long to enumerate. Then there is the script, a slap in the face to the mindless pablum so common to movies nowadays. Tony Kushner has written an extremely intelligent, historically informed script about Lincoln's struggle to pass the 13th amendment, and all the legal and moral complexities involved in that struggle. It is truly aimed at thoughtful, intelligent adults. This is simply a must-see film.