Equally Before the Law

Rating: 9/10 (18 November 2012)

Greetings again from the darkness. The movie lover in me has been anxiously awaiting this one for months. On the other hand, as a citizen, the recent Presidential campaign antics put me in quite the political funk. Tired of the rhetoric and disenchanted with the current leadership, I was concerned my thoughts might poison the outlook on director Steven Spielberg's latest. Fortunately, both Lincoln and "Lincoln" allowed me to forget those in charge today, and instead witness the look and feel of true leadership and greatness.
Despite the title, this is not simply a biographical sketch of our 16th President. Rather, it's an essay on back room politics ... the key to Washington and democracy. Deal-cutting, horse-trading, arm-twisting are just some of the strategies involved in reaching compromise. When the stakes are history ... abolishing slavery ... the passion of those unseen actions is intensified. We see a man at the height of his power willing to do what is necessary to reach a goal in which he fervently believes - even though his views are not shared by a great many others.
Some of the most fun in the film occurs during the House floor debates between Republicans and Democrats. These scenes serve as a reminder that the two parties are often at philosophical odds and, just as designed, debate and discussion lead to compromise and advancement. At least that's the general idea and purpose. Next to Daniel Day-Lewis' performance, err, embodiment of Lincoln, the script is what really jumped out at me. Loosely based on "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Tony Kushner's screenplay serves up dialogue that is sharp, crisp, entertaining, thought-provoking and filled with message. This is a very talky film, not a Civil War film. We only get a couple of brief battlefield scenes, but the conversations never allow us to forget that the brutal war is always on the mind of the politicians and citizens.
Having always been fascinated by Abraham Lincoln, and familiar with the legend, the icon, the monuments, the statues, it was with true awe that I recognize what Daniel Day-Lewis delivers. His presence is so powerful that I found it all but impossible to look at anything else when he was on screen. That will certainly mandate a second viewing, but I have no hesitancy in recommending a film that brings to life what a great man can be ... what true leadership can be. This is a man who carries his burdens in his soul. He may have been self-educated, but in addition to Shakespeare and Euclid, Mr. Lincoln understood people. That knowledge allowed him to maintain his high principles through patience and reasoning and even (sometimes) humorous story-telling.
We are never allowed to forget that this is a Spielberg movie. The scenes with Lincoln and Mary Todd (Sally Field) are somewhat distracting to the greater stories, but perhaps that's the point. These discussions were distractions to him as well. In fact, Spielberg is quite kind to Mary Todd Lincoln. Other tales have not been. Either way, Ms. Field is effective, though I wish she had less screen time.
The supporting cast is a who's who of character actors. Most won't be named here but Tommy Lee Jones is a key player as Rep. Thaddeus Stevens, a radical abolitionist; David Strathairn as Sec of State William Steward has Lincoln's trust; Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Lincoln's son; and Jackie Earle Haley plays the Confederate VP Alexander Stevens. There is also a tribunal of political lobbyists or fixers that add quite the element of dirty-politics: James Spader, John Hawkes and Tim Blake Nelson. There is a quick scene at Appomattox showing General Robert E Lee, and we get a couple of scenes with General Ulysses S Grant (Jared Harris).
Lastly, the score from the great John Williams excels and compliments the mood and pace of the story ... he is careful to never overwhelm. Williams is probably in line for his 48th Oscar nomination (second only to Walt Disney). This is a film about process and the people who made that process work - even at a time when everyone thought the choice had to be made between ending the war and abolishing slavery. Choose one, you can't have both. Abraham Lincoln proved that sometimes the right man is in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, those times come around very rarely. (www.MovieReviewsFromTheDark.wordpress.com)