Boring. Unwatchable. Why, Spielberg?

Rating: 4/10 (8 June 2013)

I had high expectations on this movie regarding the fact that is was directed by Steven Spielberg, who I hold in high esteem as a film maker. We (6 people) rented this as a DVD and after the first 30 minutes two of us had already given up. At the one-hour-mark two people were watching anymore. Little later only one. I don't know how deep understanding one has to have of the history of the American Civil War to really appreciate this movie. None of us did. This movie missed an opportunity to educate us about it. The basic problem is the number of characters. No introductions, no nothing. Just shallow talking heads delivering difficult-to-understand lines of dialogue. Occasionally Daniel Day Lewis as tells a story or a joke. Occasionally Tommy Lee Jones says something. Why he says stuff and who he's even playing, is beyond me. I'm going to watch some documentary on Abe Lincoln instead.