Lincoln (2012)

***Lincoln*** is an American biographical film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day Lewis as America's sixteenth president and features Sally Field, David Strathairn, Tommy Lee Jones, and Hal Holbrook in the supporting roles. Tony Kushner's screenplay was inspired by Doris Kearn Goodwin's 2005 book "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln". This film covers the final months of Lincoln's presidency and life by focusing on his efforts of persuading members of Congress to pass the Thirteenth Amendment that would ban the institution of slavery.

Released on November 16, 2012, this film was both a critical and financial success, and was nominated seven Golden Globe Awards.

## Why Lincoln Deserves to be one of the Greatest Presidents in American History?

1. The actors truly embodied for their roles of historical figures, especially Daniel Day Lewis as Abraham Lincoln.
2. Stephen Spielberg did a great job directing this movie.
3. This movie stayed true to the original events of the US Civil War and Reconstruction.
4. Great songs like "We Are Coming Father Abram" and "Battle Cry of Freedom".
5. Excellent music score by the legendary John Williams.
6. Decent pacing for the most part.
7. The filming and setting is really well executed, especially during the 1865 timeline.
8. Lincoln has a high pitch voice, which makes sense because in real life, he actually had one when he was alive.
9. The 24th Secretary of State, William Seward, is shown to be a pretty good advisor to Lincoln on certain issues and decisions, and was played perfectly by David Strathairn.
10. The part where Lincoln told his cabinet members about why slavery needs to be illegal is very powerful and it goes to show why being president can be a very hard job.
11. The beginning of the movie seems heart warming.
12. While the Assassination scene is absent, it is still mentioned by the manager of Grover's Theater when he announces the audience and Tad Lincoln of the 10:15 pm shooting of President Lincoln at Ford's Theater.
13. Thaddeus Steven's quote "Only with equality before the law" is motivated and it goes to show why all people shall be treated equally.
14. The ending is quite emotional as Lincoln passes away in the Petersen House on April 15, 1865 after being fatally shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater on April 14, 1865, and a flashback of Lincoln’s second inaugural address, which makes the viewers cry because of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton saying “Now he belongs to the Ages”.

## Mixed Qualities

1. While the pacing is good for the most part, it still has some issues:
	* We never get to see what happened to Lincoln after leaving for Ford's Theater. In fact, John Wilkes Booth made no appearance nor he is mentioned as he should have.
	* We also never get to hear what happened to Secretary of State William Seward after having a meeting with Confederate officials
		+ If they were to include the assassination of Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth, the attempted assassinations on Secretary Seward and Vice President Andrew Johnson by Lewis Powell and George Atzerodt, and the aftermath that ended with the deaths of Lincoln and Booth and the script before the ending credits to show what happened to the people who were involved in the last months of Lincoln and Booth, it could have ran at least 2 hours and 55 minutes or could delete some unnecessary scene that didn't impact the film.

## “The President Has Been Shot!” Qualities

1. It has some historical inaccuracies:
	* In the scene where Lincoln died in the Petersen Boarding House across the street from Ford's Theater at 7:22 am on the morning of April 15, 1865, we see him wearing a nightgown and laid on a hunchback position; but in real life, according to a report by one of his doctors, Charles Leale, Lincoln was actually laid diagonally on Willie Clark's small bed and was actually disrobed of all his clothing, just so Dr. Leale and the other doctors (Charles Taft and Albert King) could re-examine the wounded Lincoln for any other additional wounds before covering him with blankets, sheets and mustard plasters during the last eight hours of his life. And **yes**, Lincoln did remain naked under the covers and mustard plasters for eight hours in real life.
	* When Mrs. Lincoln is greeting guests at the White House, she says the term which didn't get named until 1901 by Teddy Roosevelt.
	* There never was any voice vote for the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment in real life.
	* In the scene that was set on January 31, 1865, the vote count is taking place in the House of Representatives and General Ulysses S. Grant is seen and Robert Todd Lincoln was seen in a uniform. In reality, he joined the army on February 11 and joined Grant's army afterwards.
	* When Congress ultimately debated and votes for the Thirteenth Amendment, every desk in the chamber is occupied, which should have been 18 empty seats because the Southern states (Virginia, both Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas) seceeded.