What to Expect From Spielberg's Biopic Lincoln

Much like Denzel Washington's new film Flight, the trailer for Steven Spielberg's upcoming biopic Lincoln portrays the movie differently than what is shown in theaters. If you are looking for an action-packed thriller with battle scenes for which Spielberg is famous (a la Saving Private Ryan) you will be sorely disappointed. In fact, most of the "action" in Lincoln takes place during heated debates in the Capitol and not on the front lines of the Civil War. My warning is not a dig at Spielberg's latest work, but is more an observation of what audiences should expect.

Instead of Lincoln, the film should be called The Thirteenth Amendment. While the main character in the film is technically Abraham Lincoln, played brilliantly by Daniel Day Lewis, the film only covers the last months of Lincoln's life (from the final surge to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to his death). The camera leaves Lincoln's side many times to show the political processes, especially the patronage system, used to garner enough bipartisan support to pass one of the United States' most significant amendments. 

As a history nerd, I appreciated that the film did not stray from reality by throwing history out the window for the sake of entertainment, like Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor*. The film does, however, run more as a History Channel mini-series than a typical Hollywood blockbuster. Spielberg even has the names of various historical personalities pop onto the screen so the audience will know who they are. I can't remember the last time I saw characters labeled in a feature film; normally, the audience discovers the identity of characters through dialogue. For example, Abraham Lincoln could say "Good morrow Thaddeus Stevens" (is that how people in the 19th century spoke?) and the audience would know he is speaking with the powerful Republican Congressman, Thaddeus Stevens.

Because I went into the screening of Lincoln expecting it to be a character study of Abraham Lincoln as a man, my favorite parts were not the contentious debates on the floor of the Capitol. Instead, I appreciated the moments when Lincoln was telling one of his famous anecdotes that had no relevance to the topic at hand, much to the chagrin of his closest aides and cabinet members; or when he was struggling over a decision to allow his oldest son to enlist in the military. These moments were what I expected to see from a film titled Lincoln.

My main take away from this film is that if Daniel Day Lewis does not win the Oscar for his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, something has gone terribly wrong. I don't know any actor living today that could capture the essence and voice of Lincoln better than him. Actually, all of the performances in Lincoln were top-notch. Spielberg scored with this ensemble cast, which is probably the biggest casting coup so far this year. Tommy Lee Jones was brilliant as Thaddeus Stevens, Lincoln's biggest supporter of the Thirteenth Amendment and most of the comic relief in the film. Sally Field was also superb as Mary Todd Lincoln. Most of my favorite parts of the film involved Mary being combative, both with Abraham and Stevens. Also, don’t miss James Spader as a wise-cracking lobbyist who steals almost every scene he’s in.

So, if you decide to go see Lincoln this weekend, realize that this is not an escapist movie. This is a movie you should watch if you want to dive into history. As a history and politics major, I enjoyed seeing many of the characters I read about in text books come to life on the screen but make sure that is what you are in the mood for. 

Let me know what you think about the film in the comments below! Based on the trailer (Lincoln Trailer), were you expecting Lincoln to be totally different? I would also love to talk about the difference between the trailer of Flight (Flight Trailer) and the film itself... or any other movies you can think of with this same issue.

*Disclaimer: I still love the movie Pearl Harbor. I've learned to accept the fact it has its historical flaws.