In a fashion uncharacteristic of his
famously dazzling aesthetic, Steven Spielberg has produced one of the
finest films of his career in Lincoln; a densely worded but
deftly handled political drama that illuminates the man behind the
myth as he fought to enact the 13th amendment.
In the waning days the American Civil
War, the two-term president (Daniel Day-Lewis) stares down the horns
of a dilemma as put to him by his Secretary of State William Seward
(David Strathairn): Either he can entertain negotiations from
Confederate delegates to bring about an end to the conflict now in
its fourth year, or he can push for the abolition of slavery,
dangling it as a carrot before the divided House of Representatives
as a quicker alternative to peace. Opting for the latter, “Honest”
Abe is forced into some decidedly manipulative politicking. As
behind-the-scenes history plays out, we see how freedom for the
slaves was not so much won on the floors of Congress as it was
craftily massaged into being from the smoky drawing rooms of
Washington.
