Excellent portrait of Abraham Lincoln, the man and the 16th President.

Rating: Null/10 (22 June 2013)

The USA is still a fairly young country, formed in 1776 by the Declaration of Independence. The very early Presidents, Washington, Adams, Jefferson were helping to form the young nation, most of them elected for multiple terms. But then there was a string of more ordinary Presidents, most serving only one term then being voted out.
Then came Lincoln, taking office in 1861, the "Civil War" President because his term, ending with his assassination in 1865, coincided very closely with the beginning and the end of what was officially known as War between the States, the North against the South.
This movie, "Lincoln", does not attempt to cover all of Lincoln's life, or even a large part of it. It is the approximate first 4 months of 1865, when Lincoln, newly-elected for a second term, had to deal with the long-running war, dissension in his Cabinet, and what would become his legacy, getting the 13th Amendment passed. It was ratified in December by the states, abolishing slavery for all time. Lincoln held firmly to the concept that every person at birth has equal rights under the law and did whatever needed to be done to achieve that legal equality.
Daniel Day-Lewis is considered by many as the best working male actor today and he won the Oscar for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln. He is shown as a gentle family man, a humorous man fond of telling stories to amplify on a point, but also a smart and tough President who knew what he wanted to accomplish and would not let any obstacles stop him. The 13th amendment had been passed by the Senate in 1864, but the House of Representatives were the roadblock. The movie shows how the "back room dealing" might have been used to get the necessary votes.
Yes, it can be a bit slow, but I didn't mind, as it gave time to develop the themes and see Abraham Lincoln, the man. Every time I see a Lincoln movie I hope the ending will be different, but he always experiences the same fate!