Lincoln the Movie

This is about the movie about the man. I have to say I think it was a masterpiece.

Daniel Day-Lewis seemed to be channeling Lincoln. Day-Lewis was completely believable as Lincoln. He just was amazing. The nuances he brought to the role are just amazing. The mannerisms and the way he walked and talked. How he wore a shawl. He was just amazing.

But he wasn’t the only one of the actors that seemed to channeling their characters. David Strathairn is William Seward. Strathairn is made up to be a dead ringer for the Secretary. I could name the other actors who seemed to live their characters: Sally Field, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Hal Holbrook the list could go on and on.

But one of the best performances which rang incredibly true to me was Bruce McGill who plays Edwin Stanton. The relationship between Stanton and Lincoln was very complicated and somewhat contentious. I think the scene of them in the War Office really shows what type of relationship it was. While waiting for news on the bombing of Wilmington, Lincoln starts to tell a story. Stanton yells out not another of you’re stories, you’re not going to tell another story. Stanton storms out. Lincoln tells his story. Suddenly the telegraph comes to life. Both Lincoln and Stanton head over to the telegraph operator. Lincoln holds up his hand and Stanton grabs hold of it. I was just blown away by the scene.

Many Lincoln scholars thought the movie was incredible too. They gathered at the Lincoln Forum. Here's what one said:

Forum Vice Chairman Harold Holzer, who has written or edited more than 40 books on Lincoln, was delighted with the movie. “I loved it,” he said. “Day-Lewis captured Lincoln as the brilliant politician he was, who knew how to draw to the table everyone he needed and he showed his great physicality. Lincoln did lose his temper; he was tightly wrapped and explosive.”

Go and see this movie; it is truly great. I think I'm going to have to go back and see it again.

On Saturday I thought it only appropriate to go down to the Lincoln Memorial.