Review of Lincoln (2012) by Jonathan B — 10 Apr 2016

A worthy but rather dull biopic focusing on an important period during the second term of US President Abraham Lincoln. The setting, acting and even aspects of the script are evocative and convincing but I always feel that the mark of a good biographical movie is whether I feel I know the subject better after seeing it than before.

i'm afraid that with Lincoln, the answer has to be that I don't. Prior to viewing, I knew Lincoln had been president during the US Civil War, that he was against slavery, he was tall and was assassinated by being shot by a disgruntled actor from the stage of the Ford's Theatre during a performance of My American Cousin.

I didn't really learn an awful lot more about the man during the film which I felt was a huge shame. I was left wanting to know more about his upbringing, about his path to the White House, what lead him to war, his seemingly strained marriage, the death of his eldest son and his bizarre relationship with his youngest child.

I found aspects of this film frustrating and unsatisfying despite really, really wanting it to work. The script is at its best when Lincoln and others are telling his anecdotal stories and performing the kind of slippery tricks that senators and politicians the world over have to master in order to win arguments and make law.

What I felt was lacking was the real story of how this argument was affecting the population beyond the political hothouse on Capitol Hill. Beyond a few brief battle scenes and visits to soldiers on the front line or in hospital, we get precious little.

I had hoped for more.