The movie focuses on the final few months of President Lincoln's life, a period in which the President was attempting to push through the Thirteenth Amendment, ending slavery in the United States at a time where the country was still divided by civil war. The Amendment was widely unpopular with a great deal of the country at the time, and the film emphasises the moral struggle undertaken by the President in keeping faith in his cause, instead of using it as popularity leverage to bring an end to the war. The plot is supported by Lincoln and his wife Mary's rocky relationship with their eldest son; Ulysses S. Grant's maintaining of the frontline; and the work of Radical Republican Congressional leader Thaddeus Stevens in ensuring that emancipation would succeed. The plot is largely an accurate, if exaggerated account of the time, so it is left to Spielberg to fill out the colour of the story, which is nothing less than what you get.
In terms of performances, Daniel Day-Lewis is by far and away the most remarkable thing about this film, and that is in no way a disparaging remark about anything else you see. Day-Lewis is renowned for his method acting, often outright refusing to break character for extended periods of time in order to immerse himself in his roles, and you can certainly tell it's worth the effort from his performance as Abraham Lincoln. Everything about Day-Lewis expresses such an air of what we picture the President to have been like, from his soft, croaky and warm voice, to the slow, steady and crankety manner in which he moves, not to mention looking remarkably similar in appearance to him. The script allows Day-Lewis to deliver whimsical little anecdotes at every turn (with one character even getting annoyed that he's about to hear "another story"), causing us all to be taken in by the idea of a gentle giant of a man, filled to the brim with knowledge. Day-Lewis is simply outstanding, it's difficult to say which of the roles he has played have been his finest, but his turn as Lincoln must be considered a major contender. He is supported brilliantly too, with Sally Fields playing Mary Lincoln, troubled by an overwhelming grief for the loss of one of her sons, the character was often thought to be insane, but is shown here as holding a level of intellect adequate enough to hold her own with the political minds filling the White House. Fields is as dependable as you'd expect, and her anguish over whether her husband will allow their eldest to enlist provides a more human aspect to the almost supernatural figure of the President. A third stunning performance is turned in by Tommy Lee Jones, in the role of Stevens, the crotchety but rapier-witted Radical Republican Congressional leader, and devout abolitionist. The trademark Jones grimace is prominent throughout, however this time it is partnered with tremendous deliverance of an unpredictable man. We can never quite figure out what Stevens is about to do or say, but we always feel is if there is something bubbling underneath his stony expression. Stevens is a key player in the eventual passing of the Amendment, and as such, it is only fitting that he is played by a man who offers such a powerful performance. There are minor roles too for Joseph Gordon Levitt (seems you have to have a three-part name to be considered for most roles of this film), Hal Holbrook, James Spader and Jackie Earle Haley, beefing out the story nicely.
The film is shot beautifully, again, something you expect from a Spielberg picture, but the efforts of cinematographer Janusz Kaminski need a serious amount of praise. There is a reason Spielberg uses this man as his principal photographer, having kept his services through Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Minority Report, War Horse and more, Kaminski is a vital part of making Spielberg's films look like Spielberg films, you feel totally immersed in the picture, it's very clean yet not unbelievable, there is simply the very feel of 19th century America about every single scene.
The only negative criticism I have to offer the film is somewhat contradictory. Yes, the performance of Day-Lewis as Lincoln is phenomenal, however, as suggested earlier, he is presented as some sort of almost superhero-type figure; each speech that he gives is soaked in meaning and philosophy, running the risk of becoming less believable. I'm not questioning whether or not Lincoln was anywhere near the almost prophetic man presented in the film, but he simply doesn't seem to be of our world; an engineer even going so far as to ask whether he feels he "was born in the right time". The awe-inspiring manner in which Lincoln leaves the White House for the last time is also depicted as if the man was a spirit drifting through the time of those lucky enough to have lived with him - moving, but quite probably over-done slightly.
4/5 - An extremely impressive film, aided enormously by the stunning and mesmerising performance of Day-Lewis. Very enjoyable, and even gets you on tenterhooks, even though we all know the outcome of the voting process in the centre of whole story. A definite go-see, just try not to get a little annoyed as I did as the feel of being in the presence of Abraham Lincoln/Justice & Equality Man, the superhero of 19th Century America.
