Spielberg and Day-Lewis team up to deliver a potential classic

Rating: 8/10 (17 February 2013)

Historical biopics such as this can often fall victim to feeling somewhat like a monument, where the viewer is acutely aware that they are watching a big important film about a big important person. This can cause the audience to possess a sense of admiration towards the film, yet retain a distance as they would a monument. Oliver Stone is a director who has become known for making historical biopics that never fail to herald their importance, yet this is something which has not always worked in his favour, as some of his more recent work has shown. Thankfully, it is safe to say that, despite occasionally feeling like a monument of significance, 'Lincoln' largely avoids this, presenting an engrossing and often personal portrait of a man who's frequently viewed in a larger-than-life manner.
Steven Spielberg is a man no stranger to the biopic, having made films such as the multiple Oscar-winning 'Schindler's List' or 2002's 'Catch Me If You Can'. He's also well-accustomed to delivering his fair share of historical drama – 'Amistad' (which also dealt with slavery), 'Empire of the Sun' and of course, 'Saving Private Ryan'. One common thread throughout all these movies and more of his was that they were unmistakably the work of Spielberg and when it came to 'Lincoln', this was a slight cause of worry for me. I'd enjoyed most of Spielberg's work, but for this film I felt that heartstrings being pulled at every opportunity and sweeping, rousing scenes in abundance would have been too obvious a direction to steer it in. The trailer didn't help; it made it look like 'Glory' with its dollop of sentimentality and glimpses of epic battles. This turned out to be a complete misrepresentation of the film itself, as with 'Lincoln', Spielberg has made what is quite possibly his most uncharacteristic movie yet; yes, some of the trademarks are still there, but not as much as they could have been, had he wished.
It is a very interior film; the Gettysburg battle scene depicted in the misleading trailer occurs within the first five minutes and aside from the occasional exterior shot, 'Lincoln' stays indoors for the majority of its 150 minutes. Those expecting a stirring and epic biopic will be sorely disappointed and possibly bored; we get nothing of his poor childhood in Kentucky or his rise to greatness; hell, we don't even hear him deliver the Gettysburg Address. However these are not complaints, as this film is primarily concerned with politics and history. Based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's 'Team of Rivals: the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, it's largely set during the last four months of the 16th President's life, centring on his efforts to get the Thirteenth Amendment in the United States Constitution passed by the United States House of Representatives, thus ending the war that was raging throughout the country and subsequently abolishing slavery. This means there is a large number of in-depth political discussions and debates that always demand every bit of your attention. If you have no interest in history or politics whatsoever, there is a considerable chance that 'Lincoln' may indeed disinterest you. With the presence of Tony Kushner, some critics have dubbed it 'The West Wing' with beards and they're not far off.
The film looks as if thought has been put into every frame; Janusz Kaminski's cinematography is consistently beautiful and has a richness and texture to it that makes every frame a delight. Each shot also appears as if it was pondered over and is all the better for it. The camera-work in 'Lincoln' is relatively restrained, but additionally it is visually lyrical possessing a lovely fluidity, coming to life even in the finer moments, such as the sight of cigar smoke wafting through the darkened rooms. Given that Day-Lewis is involved as well as Spielberg, it's unsurprising that 'Lincoln' exemplifies the very definition of what it means to give attention to detail, bringing a huge sense of depth to the film. This concentration on details was so strong that the ticking of Lincoln's watch was rendered by recording his actual watch, which is housed in the Lincoln Presidential Library, in Springfield, Illinois.
There's no denying that Daniel Day-Lewis is an extraordinary and versatile actor, having proved himself to be such in works like 'The Age of Innocence', 'The Last of the Mohicans' and Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece 'There Will Be Blood'. After Liam Neeson left the long- mooted project, Leonardo DiCaprio convinced Day-Lewis to take the role and what a magnificent performance he has delivered. His slightly twisted physicality and croaky voice may take some adjusting to, yet vitally you never doubt for a second that you are watching Abraham Lincoln, instead of a performer. He is an enigmatic and endlessly engaging presence on screen. It is a truly impeccable troupe of actors that Spielberg has so expertly assembled. There's Sally Field's great support as Mary Todd Lincoln, Tommy Lee-Jones' brilliance as the fervent Thaddeus Stevens, the sneaky operative trio of John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson and a delightfully-moustachioed James Spader, David Strathairn's reliable impressiveness as William H. Seward, Lincoln's right-hand man, Lee Pace's rivetingly fiery performance as Republican Fernando Wood, and the list goes on.
For better or for worse, Steven Spielberg is a filmmaker known to schmaltz thins up and when it came to 'Lincoln' he had an ample opportunity to do this, but aside from the final five minutes, he doesn't and delivers something that is much more than men with whiskers discussing politics in darkly-lit rooms. It is an intelligent, personal and surprisingly thrilling piece of work that is his finest film since 'Saving Private Ryan'.