I have had a ton of exposure to the mid nineteenth century in the last few weeks. First it was Charles Dickens "Great Expectations", and then it was the movie "Lincoln". Yes, the movie was very much about Abe Lincoln, but should really have been titled "The Thirteenth Amendment". It was not a biography of Lincoln, but a small chapter in his life during his second term of President, near the end of the Civil War. (1866)
It is political intrigue at its finest. Although not entirely historically correct (every Hollywood movie has a bias) it is a fascinating and very well acted and scripted story. Daniel Day Lewis is absolutely superb as Lincoln. His portrayal, even if it may or may not be accurate, gives a wonderful sense of what the President may have been like and what is portrayed is very attractive and endearing.
It is a portrayal of Lincoln as president (Commander in Chief), father, husband, intellectual, philosopher, and leader. He is compassionate, passionate, humorous, shrewd, and a force to be reckoned with. A complex man for complex times.
The story revolves around the Republican's (the ruling party at the time) efforts to ram through the 13th amendment before the truce was signed to end the civil war. The document had already been passed by the senate, but needed to get a majority in the house of representatives. The back room deals, the bribes, the promises, and the coercion, show that modern day politics are not that modern. There is palpable suspense,even though we already know from history what the final outcome will be.
It is a fascinating look into the historical times, and the beginning of emancipation for the black slaves. In the context of the times and attitudes of the day, the debate of "created equal" vs. "created equal under the law" is a fascinating one. At one point, one of the speakers brings up the point that if the "Negroes" are freed, what will surely come next will be the right to vote. There were many aghast at this idea. Then he went on to say that "after that there will even be the vote for women!" This absolutely brought the entire house to utter pandemonium as such an idea should never even cross one's mind. We smile at the very thought, but it shows how far we have come in our understanding of 'equality'.
I highly recommend this movie and give it a 5 star rating.
1 comment:
I use something I read once about how Lincoln handled a situation with Secretary Stanton. Stanton hated a certain man and Lincoln told him to write it all down on a paper. When he was done Stanton was going to send it but Lincoln told him to throw it away because..."don't you feel better now?" I've done that a few times and it works.
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