Lincoln Walks Away With It

[Bob Boze Bell]

February 8, 2013

I went to see Steven Spielberg's Lincoln last December but didn't post anything about it for a couple reasons. The first being I didn't want to ruin it for my friends here who hadn't seen it yet, and, two, I wanted to mull it a bit until I spouted off about it. I think enough time has passed so here goes the spouting:

 

The ad campaign and poster is absolutely brilliant and iconic.

 

This is from a booklet on the production that was inserted into The Hollywood Reporter (and all of these photos are from the booklet). I wouldn't be surprised that in a 100 years, this photo of Daniel Day-Lewis isn't used with attribution as being a "real" photo of Big L. It's that good and the design and starkness is just the best. When we get in arguments about house ads here at the magazine I often resort to the comparison: "Give me more Lincoln and less Dairy Queen" as in, a local Dairy Queen ad with all the specials of the day and phone number, website address and the owner's bio.

 

The costuming in Lincoln is absolutely rich and authentic. Great hats in all the crowd scenes:

Not to mention all the fine acting. That's James Spader (Sex, Lies & Videotape) at left, Tim Blake Nelson ("Oh, no, not the livestock" from Oh, Brother Where Art Thou), and John Hawkes (Cy from Deadwood and Winter's Bone). Everyone is at the top of their game. Sally Field is great.

 

The set pieces are also first rate, like this interior of Lincoln's office:

 

Check out this closeup of the same scene:

 

Great attention to detail and I have a hunch, Spielberg himself put the small toys in the scene from his own collection! That is my guess, but it's so cool. Just lovingly done with great admiration.

 

Of course, the history isn't perfect. My neighbor, Tom Augherton, who is from DC, and worked at the White House, said the Capitol dome was under construction during the Civil War and not completed until after Lincoln's death:

 

If true, I'm not sure why they wouldn't portray this cool little detail. Perhaps they thought it would take us out of the story? Not sure, but to have gone to such effort everywhere else to get it right and then not do a big thing like this, is kind of crazy, at least to me.

 

My biggest complaint, though, is that it's too long. Steven had us with the scene of Lincoln walking down the corridor on his way to a certain theater:

 

Lincoln says he "doesn't want to go," and we know exactly where he's off to and so as the camera stays on him and he walks off into immortality, that is where the movie wants to end. But no, we get a couple more extended scenes, one of a play going on, but it ain't THAT ONE, it's a twist and it's too clever by half and it drains the climax we just saw. Then another speech! Enough. You had us at the walk.

 

Still, I'm proud of Steven and all the people who lovingly put this up on the big screen. I think the film will almost match ol' Edwin's quote:

 

"Now he belongs to the ages."

—Edwin Stanton

 

[Stan H]

Thanks for the critique, BBB.

 

I believe many of today's film are "overdone" and drag out too long.

 

I have heard the same complaint about Lincoln. I think I will wait and get it on DVD.

 

 

 

[Bob Boze Bell]

Stan, I don't know how much of a movie purist you are, but like seeing Avatar on the big screen, Lincoln is in that realm. It really is cool to see the sweeping landscapes and battlefields and it ain't the same on DVD.

[anthony martin]

  Construction of the new capitol dome was a long process,started in 1855 and completed in 1866,a nearly 11 year project.Lincoln took a lively interest in the engineering of the dome and watched the progress every day.

   About the film-in addition to solid acting the work of both costumers and production designers was both very authentic and thoroughly researched with precious few glaring errors,something that very few historic films can claim.I was particularly impressed with small interior details.Take note of that simple,neoclassical gas table lamp  with the long hose running up to the chandelier.Few productions bother to depict them and a period specific one is rarer as most production designers would grab one from 1885 thinking that no one would notice the difference.

[Stan H]

BBB

I understand what you are saying, but it is always difficult for me to squeeze myself into a crowded theater, even though I know I am missing the grandeur of the big screen. I have not been inside a theater in many years.

 

 

 

 

[Bob Boze Bell]

You are not alone Stan. I respect that. My wife is in Spain and I could go to a movie every night of the week and I don't. Haven't been once. I like my house. I've got Netflix (I'm watching a bio on Woody Allen tonight) and I'm reading "Grapes of Wrath" so I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm more of a recluse than you are! Ha.

[Chet Rollins]

Loved Lincoln and Daniel nailed the part. His almost mechanical walk down the hall was very effective.

I felt that Open Range had too many endings. There was the one in the saloon, then another in the garden and finally on the hill overlooking the town. Could have ended the movie at any one of them and I would have gotten' it. Each had a little something and I guess they couldn't decide.

Like Lucas said about special effects, they are expensive to pull off and therefore some directors try to get every cent out of it, but it can take away from the story if you dwell on it.

[anthony martin]

 Logic,coherence and audience empathy are essential.A good ensemble cast will deliver the goods even if the script is weak and the dialogue stilted or corny.Now for special effects I've always held the opinion that a little goes a long way and their best purpose is to help cross the film's T's and dot the I's so to speak.Special effects fall under the blanket of spectacle.Aristotle,in his Poetics reminded us that spectacle is the easiest to achieve and never should be employed to gloss over other dramatic deficiencies.Without a good script,careful direction ,cinematography and VERY solid actors a film full of special effects is just another fireworks show.

[Sue Cauhape]

BBB, I agree with your point that perhaps by showing the incomplete capitol dome, it would have distracted many viewers. There was already so much to digest in the film that to add one more historically correct detail, and a big one too, would've been too much. It's amazing how one word in a sentence can send a reader on a tangent. Same is true in film. Focus is the key.

[Michael]

A film like Lincoln should be as historically accurate as possible. The Capitol should have been shown as it was, unfinished. If not only for accuracy, it might lead to a discussion, which is always a good thing.

[Margaret-Anne Moore]

SUBTLTY--that's what many motion picture people seem to lack!  Of the older ghost movies the scariest I ever remember seeing were:  The Univited with Ray Milland, the original The Haunting, the Legend of Hell House, The Changeling with Geoirge C. Scott  (because the ghosts were always felt but not always seen!  Of the more modern ghost movies I would chose Sixth Sense and The Others with Nicole Kidman--two movies with the most surprising endings of recent times!  I have not yet been able to catch Lincoln because of my own and my family members' hectic schedules, but hope to do so soon.  from what I have heard so far, Daniel ma well come out with his third Oscar.

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