Lincoln

[jackhammer91406]

I saw the film LINCOLN today.

The screenplay by Tony Kushner (ANGELS IN AMERICA) is very powerful and offers an intimate glimpse of our 16th President during the final months of his life.

 

The story is based on a chapter from A Team of Rivals, the book by Doris Kearns Goodwin (acclaimed Presidential historian).

 

With amazing performances by Daniel Day Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Fields, directed by Steven Spielberg and a moving score by John Williams, this film gives such an intimate portrayal of Lincoln, that I almost feel like I have met him.

 

Very well done.

 

[video=youtube;qiSAbAuLhqs]

[uwsman2]

Saw it last weekend and like it very much. My only complaint is the too-present, over-manipulative John Williams score. But the acting and script were superb, and the settings were extraordinary. A definite must-see, and when it goes to DVD, I'll be getting it and seeing it all over again.

[operalover21]

Saw it last weekend and like it very much. My only complaint is the too-present, over-manipulative John Williams score. But the acting and script were superb, and the settings were extraordinary. A definite must-see, and when it goes to DVD, I'll be getting it and seeing it all over again.

 

I liked it as well although I have to admit that Day-Lewis' voice as Lincoln is very off-putting. Too high. Oh, and its' Sally FIELD, not Fields.

[jgoo]

I liked it as well although I have to admit that Day-Lewis' voice as Lincoln is very off-putting. Too high. Oh, and its' Sally FIELD, not Fields.

 

In the trailer and you can hear Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln and while there are no actual recordings of Lincoln's voice apparently many scholars believe his voice was higher pitched than many may think or expect from other actor's interpretations in the past. So there may be some historical basis for Day-Lewis' choice. Being an iconic figure, hearing him in a way we don't anticipate can be a strange or even as operalover says, an off-putting experience but hopefully it doesn't overshadow the overall movie. I haven't seen it yet but plan to as soon as I have the chance.

[operalover21]

In the trailer and you can hear Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln and while there are no actual recordings of Lincoln's voice apparently many scholars believe his voice was higher pitched than many may think or expect from other actor's interpretations in the past. So there may be some historical basis for Day-Lewis' choice. Being an iconic figure, hearing him in a way we don't anticipate can be a strange or even as operalover says, an off-putting experience but hopefully it doesn't overshadow the overall movie. I haven't seen it yet but plan to as soon as I have the chance.

 

That may be but I have to admit I could care less. I don't see Lincoln that way. And it's all conjecture anyway. It didn't ruin the movie for me but it was jarring nonetheless. I also thought that Sally Field was WAY too old for her part. It was a little overly earnest. It was a good film. Not a great one. I wouldn't be it on my best list of the year.

[jackhammer91406]

My bad. I stand corrected, Sally Field.

[+ Charlie]

I heard an interview with Day-Lewis on NPR in which he explained that contemporary written accounts of Lincoln speech noted that his voice was surprisingly high-pitched, that observers were sometimes startled because the voice didn't seem to go with his physical image.

[tchm]

That may be but I have to admit I could care less. I don't see Lincoln that way. And it's all conjecture anyway. It didn't ruin the movie for me but it was jarring nonetheless. I also thought that Sally Field was WAY too old for her part. It was a little overly earnest. It was a good film. Not a great one. I wouldn't be it on my best list of the year.

 

I agree re Sally Field. She's too old for the part and her scenes with DDL, especially the big confrontation scene, felt stagey. And I felt the movie was too talky and borderline boring. Otherwise, the technical parts -photography, production design, costumes, makeup, sound, et al - were all outstanding.

[OneFinger]

Saw the movie today and thoroughly enjoyed it. I personally liked Sally Field in her role and the Lincoln voice didn't bother me a bit and I felt it was historically accurate.

 

Might even see it a second time.

[uwsman2]

The voice is in accord with what historians have found in contemporary reports on Lincoln's speaking voice. We have grown up with movie depictions of Lincoln featuring actors with deep baritone voices, but they were ignoring the historical record. Daniel Day Lewis thoroughly researches his role, and in interviews he has said that he picked a voice and accent that would be in accord with the historical record. I found it endearing, not off-putting. The whole idea of the film is to depict Lincoln as intensely human, not some distant historical icon. It succeeds at that.

[Epigonos]

I haven't seen the film yet and am extremely hesitant to do so. "Team of Rivals" is likely my all time favorite biography. I understand that the film deals primarily with Lincoln's relationship with his Secretary of the Treasury Chase who was a complete and total asshole. Frankly I would have much preferred less emphasis on Chase and more on Seward (his Secretary of State). I also understand that the film goes into some depth regarding the 13th Amendment. The truth is Lincoln was primarily interested in maintaining the Union NOT freeing the slaves. He would have readily accept the continuation of slavery in the south if the southern states hadn't insisted on destroying the Union. He only pursued the 13th Amendment after it became clear that the Civil War was in its final stages. At that point it was obvious that maintaining slavery served no political purpose other than alienating the abolitionists in the Republican Party.

[uwsman2]

You've been misinformed, Epigonos, about this film. Chase was Secretary of the Treasury and subsequently appointed to the Supreme Court, and was not in the cabinet by the last 5 months of Lincoln's life. The film is about those last five months, and David Strathairn is brilliant as Seward, who is one of the leading characters in the film. I forgot to mention in my prior posting that Tommy Lee Jones is also brilliant in this film as Thaddeus Stevens, the northern Radical Republican who played a major role in getting the House of Representatives to pass the 13th Amendment. The film is based on several chapters in Team of Rivals.

[operalover21]

The voice is in accord with what historians have found in contemporary reports on Lincoln's speaking voice. We have grown up with movie depictions of Lincoln featuring actors with deep baritone voices, but they were ignoring the historical record. Daniel Day Lewis thoroughly researches his role, and in interviews he has said that he picked a voice and accent that would be in accord with the historical record. I found it endearing, not off-putting. The whole idea of the film is to depict Lincoln as intensely human, not some distant historical icon. It succeeds at that.

 

There are a lot of things that comport with the historical record that I wouldn't want to see/hear. Lincoln sounding like Rip Taylor is one of them.

[operalover21]

You've been misinformed, Epigonos, about this film. Chase was Secretary of the Treasury and subsequently appointed to the Supreme Court, and was not in the cabinet by the last 5 months of Lincoln's life. The film is about those last five months, and David Strathairn is brilliant as Seward, who is one of the leading characters in the film. I forgot to mention in my prior posting that Tommy Lee Jones is also brilliant in this film as Thaddeus Stevens, the northern Radical Republican who played a major role in getting the House of Representatives to pass the 13th Amendment. The film is based on several chapters in Team of Rivals.

 

Strathairn was good but I don't think he looked anything like Seward. For one thing, I doubt Seward ever spend that much time in a tanning salon.

[EZEtoGRU]

I saw the film yesterday. I enjoyed it and thought the performances by Daniel Day-Lewis & Tommy Lee Jones were superb. I fully expect them to both get Oscar nominations and have a good shot at winning. The acting was better than the overall film however.......it was just a little too slow going. Whilst the movie and Spielberg might get Oscar nominations as well, I doubt they will win.

 

As for Sally Field, I thought her performance was good but not brilliant. As someone else said previously, the confrontation scene seemed a little too contrived. She might garner a Supporting Actress nod, but has no chance of winning IMHO.

 

Overall, the film is worth seeing for the notable Lewis and Jones performances.