Movie review: Being Lincoln in the age of slavery

 

In the first few minutes of Steven Spielberg’s 'Lincoln,' anyone unfamiliar with American history would probably regret not having done some background reading before watching the film. Confederates, the Civil War, radical Republicans versus conservative Democrats – the historical events and context of 19th century USA were confusing at times, but soon enough, the movie gave way to more familiar themes that are startlingly similar to present-day political battles. Covering the last four months of Lincoln’s life, the movie revolves around his campaign to abolish slavery through the passage of the 13th amendment to the US Constitution. The uphill battle is reminiscent of the recent legislative tussle in the Philippines over the RH bill, complete with scheming characters that, astonishing as it may seem nearly 150 years later, are still prevalent today. There’s the often bumbling trio led by W. N. Bilbo (James Spader), who will be familiar to those who have encountered the political operatives (or operators in Pinoy parlance) behind the success of many an elected official. They are in charge of getting the requisite number of votes from lame-duck Democrats who had lost in the recent elections, which would allow the legislation to squeak past the formidable opposition in the lower house. There are intransigent congressmen who seem beyond reason, much like the antagonists in the gun and budget debates raging in the US Congress today. And then there’s Rep. Thaddeus Stevens, ably portrayed by Tommy Lee Jones, who will certainly bring to mind a certain senator who is fond of skewering less mentally capable opponents. Far from his 'Men in Black' character familiar to most young viewers, Jones looms as a feisty figure here. In one of the many lively debates at the House, he addresses fellow legislator George Pendleton thus: "How can I hold that all men are created equal when here before me stands, stinking, the moral carcass of the gentleman from Ohio, proof that some men are inferior, endowed by their maker with dim wits, impermeable to reason, with cold pallid slime in their veins instead of hot red blood?" As if that wasn’t enough, he adds: "You are more reptile than man, George, so low and flat, that the foot of man is incapable of crushing you." These are just some of the many engaging lines packed into two hours and thirty minutes of backroom deals, horse trading, manipulation, patronage politics, and wit penned by Tony Kushner, who also wrote the award-winning play 'Angels in America.' The wordy scenes can be tiresome, but his screenplay is far from boring, even if you can’t quite figure out what Lincoln is up to, as there’s still Spielberg’s trademark humor when you least expect it. "My movies more often are told through pictures, not words. But in this case, the pictures took second position to the incredible words of Abraham Lincoln and his presence," Spielberg explains in the production notes. And what a truly towering presence Lincoln has in this movie, as Daniel Day-Lewis dissolves into one of America’s most inspiring leaders. Gone are the piercing eyes of the actor, in their stead the melancholy gaze of Lincoln as he contemplates the deaths around him, the difficult tightrope he has to walk in balancing the quest to end the Civil War with the goal to attain justice for blacks, the agony of a father who is scared of losing his son in the armed conflict. Quoting the Greek mathematician Euclid, Lincoln intones one of the most memorable lines in the film: "It is a self-evident truth that things which are equal to the same thing are equal to each other." It’s not an actor we see here but Lincoln himself, human frailties and all even as his sense of fairness shines through some of the darkest years in American history. Anyone who’s running in the May elections should watch this movie, if only to truly understand what politics and public service are really all about. — BM, GMA News Lincoln opens Feb. 20 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox and Dreamworks Pictures, distributed by Warner Bros. Photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox