Lincoln (2012/Steven
Spielberg/DreamWorks/Fox/Disney/Touchstone Blu-ray w/DVD)
Picture:
B/C Sound: B/C+ Extras: B- Film: B
So much
has been said and shown about Abraham Lincoln that making any new work on the
subject that is meant to be taken serious and work is together than it might
seem. Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln
(2012) had so much working against it, including spoofs, satires and the
familiarity of the history, but there are things that are not as known and he
was determined to make the film and make it work. Thanks to the coup of landing Daniel Day
Lewis in the title role and reuniting with is Munich
writer Tony Kushner writing the script, he has pulled off a remarkable film
that is say to under-appreciate despite its current critical and commercial
success.
A well
rounded historical drama that more than justifies its rich 150 minutes, it
never feels that long because it is subtly involving throughout, does not allow
itself to become merely part of a long cycle of recent Civil War drams and if
it could have had a subtitle, Rebirth Of
A Nation would be a strong one.
From a
much longer biographical screenplay by Kushner, Spielberg rightly focuses on
the crux of Lincoln’s legacy, passing the 13th Amendment to go with
the Emancipation Proclamation and not only reinventing the country, but saving
it as a just force for good in the world and on the international stage;
something that would never have happened without him. Backing what he saw as man’s last great hope,
Lincoln knew the country could not survive without a solid moral backing that
recognized all humanity and people, so slavery had to die and The Civil War was
the proof that the country could not last with its built-in contradiction of
slavery and preachings of freedom.
This has one
of the most interesting casts of any Spielberg film, with Lewis so good in the
role that it is one of the best portrayals of this president we will ever
see. It is a film as much about its time
as now, grappling with many of the same questions we still are dealing with
now, showing how very slow real permanent change takes. Parallels between the Lincoln and Obama
Presidencies will resonate with current audiences and long after his successors
take over The White House, while the many stories Lincoln tells people
(cleverly criticized by Bruce McGill as Edwin Stanton walking out on one of
them) shows him as the original Great Communicator before Ronald Reagan,
including a poignant moment where he talks with a pair of telegraph operators
(elaborate telegraph station in the room) another priceless story.
The
casting that may seem the most obvious and possibly problematic are Sally Field
as Mary Todd Lincoln and Hal Holbrook as Preston Blair, but for the film to be
about Americana, they are the perfect choices and they exceed what could have
been throwaway performances that lesser actors would have played as filler. They are joined by David Strathairn as
Secretary Of State William Seward, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robert Lincoln, James
Spader as W.N. Bilbo, Jackie Earle Haley as Alexander Stephens, Tim Blake
Nelson as Richard Schell, Jared Harris as Ulysses S. Grant, Gloria Reuben as Elizabeth
Keckley, Jeremy Strong as John Nicolay, S. Epatha Merkerson as Lydia Smith, Christopher
Boyer as General Robert E. Lee, Lucas Hass in a brief turn and Tommy Lee Jones
in an ace of a performance as Thaddeus Stevens.
This
reminded me most of Spielberg’s Amistad,
though they are different enough films and for every serious history film
Spielberg does in the future, he needs to get Kushner on board in every case
because their synergy is undeniable, especially since Munich (reviewed elsewhere on this site) remains Spielberg’s most
underrated film and more poignant and relevant than when it first came out.
Lincoln may still cover some familiar territory, but
decades from now and beyond, it will endure as one of the best films ever made
on the subject.
The 1080p
2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer was shot in the Super 35mm film
format (3-perferation version with fine Kodak Vision 3 negative stocks) by
Spielberg’s now longtime Director of Photography Janusz Kaminski and once
again, the use of light is more complex and more varied (even diffused in
parts) looking good, even with the digital CGI enhancements. There is sometimes a lack of depth however
and color is being tampered with to be on the gray side, but the picture
performance is solid throughout and looks really good. The anamorphically enhanced DVD image on the
DVD version is just too soft by comparison and not much of a match for the
Blu-ray.
The
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 7.1 lossless mix on the Blu-ray is a top rate mix for
a film that is often dialogue based, but we get more than just John Williams’
score in the surrounds, but subtle to fully flushed out uses of sound effects and
other ambiance that makes for a slid mix.
The lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DVD is not bad for that older format,
but no match for the DTS-MA 7.1 by any means.
Extras
include a Digital Copy for PC, PC portable and iTunes capable devices, while
the discs add The Journey To Lincoln
featurette, then the Blu-rays add five more featurettes: A Historic Tapestry: Richmond Virginia, In The Company Of Character, Crafting
The Past, Living With Lincoln and
In Lincoln’s Footsteps. They show how much hard work this film really
was, but watch them after seeing the
film.
- Nicholas Sheffo
