An under-appreciated masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (6 February 2013)

I went to see this film last night. I wasn't expecting much more than another great film to round off a great trilogy of films I went to see in the theater; Skyfall, The Hobbit and finally Lincoln. So, I was never doubting it would be great, but I was not prepared for feast of spectacle and wonder I was served. This film blew me away. The acting, the writing, the classic cinematic feel of Steven Spielberg's work... all of it came together into a brew of excellence.
For those less well informed about the plot of this film, the film revolves around the 16th, and arguably the greatest president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) and the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the US. It chronicles Lincoln's second inauguration to his assassination on Good Friday, 1865. Spielberg and the writer, Tony Kushner, handle this period piece with complete mastery. The visuals and dialogue are bare inches away from perfection, with clear blue skies and clear grand speeches making their home turf within.
The performance of Daniel Day-Lewis as the titular role was astounding. He brought a new level of empathy to the character, something that was all but discarded by other portrayals. Most see Lincoln as a stern, deep-voiced man with a strong presence, but a kind heart underneath his quite hard exterior. However, this was not the case with Lincoln; he was a kind man, with a high, nasal voice which seemed to call to the people and their spirits. His voice, although some people complained about it due to their ill-informed view of Lincoln, perfectly fitted the role, and was handled incomparably by Day-Lewis. I'm sure ol' Abe himself would have been proud of this performance.
Despite my gushing over Lincoln, I enjoyed the other performances too. I was particularly moved by Tommy Lee Jones' performance as Thaddeus Stevens. He conveys Steven's motives well and carries the weight of a complex character with relative ease and total confidence. Sally Field's performance as the complicated Mary Todd Lincoln was inspired and handled with a delicate touch, along with meticulous attention towards the chemistry with Day-Lewis' Lincoln. In all honesty, all of the roles in this film were handled with, at the very least, total competence.
A common complaint I hear about the film is how 'painfully long' it is. To say this mere 150 minute film is 'long' is to destroy the fabric of this genre. This kind of film needs time to flesh out the characters as well as the issues floating around them at this time. If this film is too long, then why is Doctor Zhivago, a film of similar caliber in my opinion, praised by the cinephiles while they shun this one to the sidelines? This film deserves to be watched with ears and eyes to attention. This film deserves recognition and praise. This film deserves to be loved.