Lincoln (2012) A Must-see movie

Rating: 10/10 (18 October 2012)

What a wonderful glimpse into the anguish he must have felt.I imagine that Daniel Day Lewis locked himself into a room filled with history books and took breaks only to practice walking with an elongated lope after being chosen to play President Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. Lewis not only delivers a flawless performance, he is the President during a time when rivers of blood flow upon America's own soil. Throughout this movie, Lincoln's 6 foot 4 frame bends beneath the weight of the obstacles he faces: a Democratic Party firmly against his Emancipation Proclamation, a Republican Party seeking peace, and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln who is still mourning the death of her son. Madame President, as she reminds Thaddeus Stevens, is an opinionated woman with a keen eye for the back-door deals and party politics on both sides of the issues facing her husband. No wonder Madame President is cursed with headaches. She is morning the loss of her son and aware of the stakes facing the nation, her husband, and her own children. Lincoln offers a glimpse into her life and the struggles she personally faced. Inside chambers, the war between the parties escalates. After filling the chambers with newspaper reporters, the Democratic Party challenges Alexander Stephens, played by Jackie Earle Haley, to taunt Thaddeus Stevens into saying that all men are equal. Stephens, who believes that the Negro is not equal, challenges the usually outspoken, Stevens. Warning that should the Proclamation pass the Negro would demand representation in the House, the right to vote, or could possibly even hold public office. Democrats warned the Proclamation would open the door to women voting as well. As a woman I wanted to stand up in the middle of the movie and shout. With regard to the actual vote on the Amendment, Spielberg leaves little room to argue the historical facts. Announcing each Democrat who voted either for or against the proclamation, moviegoers need only do a little research to confirm their accuracy. Lincoln not only recounts the facts leading up to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, it offers a glimpse into the life of President Abraham Lincoln, and the struggles he faced both personally and politically. The actors in Lincoln deliver a flawless performance. The storyline leaves viewers wanting to know more about these men who shaped our history. 10 stars for a brilliant must- see movie.