I must confess that I find historical films such as these fascinating. I have always been interested in how people portray historical people and bring to life past events. I know that I'm not alone. Producers are willing to spend millions to produce historical stories for mass audiences. Obviously, there is a broad market for historical based films.
Film is a powerful medium because it can mold our perceptions.
Although I was interested to see how all of the characters of this tragedy were portrayed, I worried a little bit about historical accuracy of the film. I'm still not quite sure how I should judge the production. The characterizations of all the figures, with a couple of specific exceptions, were wonderful. More to the point though, I wonder how the movie will impact people's perceptions of the historical figures portrayed. Although a human side to Lincoln was presented, it was still overwhelmed by the mythic stature of Lincoln that no actor since Henry Fonda has been able to transcend.