Great man, pretty good film

Rating: 6/10 (10 February 2014)

Being not part of the American school system (and indeed, having not having had much of an education at all) the most I knew about Abraham Lincoln was the guy in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure who advised the students in a Most Triumphant speech towards the end to "PARTY ON, DUDES!!" You might think "PHILISTINE!! How could you not know about his contribution to ending modern day slavery, or his untimely end in a theatre at the hand of one John Wilkes Booth?" to which I can only shrug my shoulders and advise them to visit the two pathetic establishments where I spent most of my formative years. They'd soon change their tune.
So, here's Daniel Day Lewis in full regalia... bushy beard, top hat, wearing stilts... (Or is he actually that tall...) Does he capture the essence of Mr Lincoln? Who knows... but he certainly acts like I imagine the guy would, and he looks the part... so let's give him a pass. Abraham, according to how this film represents him, had a tendency to tell long stories of his personal experiences, which charmed and inspired everyone around him. He was well loved by pretty much all the population, and just coming into his second term as President. Then he decided to put a bill through Congress to end ownership of black people, and all Hell broke loose.
There was already a war going on between the South and the North, and this further exacerbated the situation because the South wanted to keep their plantations going... and they needed slaves to do that. So somehow Mr Lincoln had to perform the difficult task of getting the two sides to agree to peace, AND freeing ethnic minorities from the toil of the whip. No mean feat. But somehow he did it... (No SPOILER here, just read your history book) in no small way thanks to his gravitas as a leader, and his determination that every man should be equal. Alas, a bullet put an end to him soon afterwards, but all the ammunition in all the arsenals in the world couldn't stop his dream from achieving reality. (Sorry, stealing a tribute to Martin Luther King there. Still appropriate, I reckon)
This is the kind of movie I can imagine watching as part of exam coursework than for true entertainment purposes. It's very informative, and made with a true appreciation of the subject. It is also incredibly long-winded, and with not a lot to carry it for long periods other than Day Lewis's (admittedly superb) performance, things can get a trifle dull. We learn Lincoln had a fractious relationship with his wife, and his son threatens to sever ties with him over his desire to be a soldier. All interesting stuff, but not quite enough to pad out the lloonngg running time. So I 'get' what Spielberg is trying to do... I just didn't feel all that exhilarated afterwards, like if I'd watched a defining piece of cinema. Oh well... you're still a legend in my eyes Abe... 6/10