Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” is a triumph of screenwriting and film performance, yet at the same time it’s unsurprisingly static and extremely drawn out—ironically due to these very same elements. This is the challenge Spielberg accepted when he chose to film what is essentially a stage play. And while Spielberg is no Kazan when it comes to adapting theater or literature to film, he still manages to craft his best work since 2005’s “Munich.”
Early during pre-production, Spielberg said that Lincoln’s entire life would have been too massive a subject to tackle efficiently, so instead we are presented with the events of the last few months of Lincoln’s life, specifically the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment and the end of the Civil War. Originally to be portrayed by Liam Neeson (what a completely different film that would have been!), Lincoln is fully embodied by Daniel Day-Lewis—undoubtedly the greatest living film actor bar none. To call this a performance almost seems insulting. And while my favorite work from him will forever be oil tycoon Daniel Plainview in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood,” every physical and vocal beat he gives Lincoln feels like a grand master finely perfecting his craft. In those rare moments when he actually raises his voice, it feels as though the heavens are crashing down on everyone around him. To avoid stagnant staging, Spielberg films the sixteenth president in such a way that the images provide him with the “immense power” that Day-Lewis’ subtle performance seems to lack. The complement is nice, but how far can it carry a film?
Let’s take a look at the other performances. Tommy Lee Jones is the secondary triumph of the film as Thaddeus Stevens, a surprisingly comical role with the most bite of the entire ensemble. Jones tackles the role well and has noticeable fun with the language of the script, which is something always wonderful to see from an actor of his caliber. Meanwhile, Sally Field plays a fairly amicable first lady. Her tense scenes with Lincoln bring life to the story and prove some of the best moments of the film, but when flying solo, Field tends to drift into the background and lose purpose in the story. The script itself is very well written but ultimately suffers from too much politics. History and government buffs will likely argue against this, but from a cinematic standpoint, there just isn’t enough punch to push the film through the closed doors behind which the action is stuck.
Once you warm up to the pacing of the film, it really does transform into something wondrous. The cinematography is extraordinary: soft lights give the film a dreamlike atmosphere while also complementing the historic setting of the drama. Lincoln himself is consistently shot with a sense of wonder about him; his lanky and dominant shadow draped across the floor marks his distinguished entrance into a room. As mentioned earlier, the script is rather humorous, as exemplified by a great moment when one politician refuses to listen to another of Lincoln’s infamous stories only to have the president laugh and continue as if he took the dramatic exit as a compliment. Kushner is one of the few writers who could infuse such seemingly dry material with comedy, and for that he will likely receive an Oscar nomination, even if he does slip into preachy dialogue every now and then.
Another comment on the actors: Day-Lewis looks so much like Lincoln and that it almost becomes distracting watching the rest of the ensemble strut about the frame looking essentially just like themselves. I suppose I’m being nitpicky about this, but it was apparent.
“Lincoln” is far from perfection, but what Spielberg, Day-Lewis, and the rest of the cast and crew do with the material is admirable. Yet “Lincoln” remains a prime example of a film whose parts don’t add up to a whole, though they do amount to something magnificent. It’s fair to assume that “Lincoln” will score a good amount of Oscar gold, and why shouldn’t it? Day-Lewis will likely be the first to win three Best Actor awards in film history. But another Best Picture for Spielberg? Maybe next time.
