LINCOLN

I was very, very anxious to see "Lincoln" in the theatres but was unfortunately unable to. Once it became available for home consumption I watched it twice on the same day. I have always been a huge fan of Stephen; I'd love to meet him someday. His work has never dissapointed me, and this, the 11th of his films that I have seen (Jaws, E.T., all four Indys, Close Encounters, Schindler's List, Jurassic Park, and Saving Private Ryan are the others) is just flat-out beautiful and left me crying a bit at the end. Daniel Day-Lewis is wonderful--and very human--as our 16th President. He gives us a Lincoln who's got all the homespun stories and is kind and loving on the one hand, but on the other, can turn on the political charm when he needs it to do the proverbial arm-twisting necessary to secure key votes that will help the 13th Amendment get the required 2/3 majority to finally pass the House. And Day-Lewis' Abe must still be a husband and father in a family not devoid of issues--particularly eldest son Robert's desire to join the army--which neither his father or mother Mary (Sally Field) wants. Field's First Lady is still dealing with the loss of one son (Willie) to a well-documented illness and is still on edge. Eventually, Field and Day-Lewis go at it in a good-old domestic nose-to-nose. Sally Field's always been great. She put herself through quite a bit to perform this difficult character, but she damn-well did it--and she deserves all the accolades she's already received for the job she did. And then there's the Cabinet--led by Robert Straithorn's icy and ascerbic Secretary of State Seward. Straithorn's perfect for this role. He plays these types as well as anyone. And eventually, Day-Lewis' Abe eventually is driven to go ballistic by his own closest advisors as he must deal with not only the urgency he feels for getting the Amendment passed, but the timing of a Confederate peace offer that Seward's not too pleased about and is quick to let his President know about it. And yet, Straithorn also shows great respect and restraint when, in the Lincoln death scene, he quickly and quietly delivers the most famous thing Seward ever said: "Now he belongs to the Ages." It sounded almost as if Straithorn must have felt it was something he didn't really feel he deserved the right to say--even as an actor. I wish Hal Holbrook had had a little more to do, but he's a treasure in any case. But there are two things that truly steal this film for me on top of everything else. How about Tommy Lee Jones? His Thaddeus Stevens absolutely kicks ass--not only the character's personality, but the way Jones just nails it. And there's a little surprise Jones provides for us once the Amendment passes. And then, there are the locations. The Richmond-Petersburg area is like a second home to me. I went to VCU, worked for four years for the Commonwealth as a young messenger/delivery man while in school, began my media career there and still have many dear friends there. The scenes shot in and around Capitol Square really hit home, because I could recognize many things close-up that, of course, had to be shot tight to begin with. The scene shot near Washington's statue in the rotunda of Jefferson's Capitol had me saying "Boy, if I had a nickle for every time I walked through that hallway when I was making a delivery!" I still visit Richmond at least once a year to see my old friends. It's always been a beautiful city and I'll always love it. It served Spielberg well. My only question...is the computer animation that turns Jefferson's Capitol into a newly-reconstructed (completed in time for 1865) U.S. Capitol completely accurate? Was the top of the Capitol dome ACTUALLY blue in the beginning and then painted white later on? Didn't know that. Oh well, that's a little thing. And with that little throw-away line said, this film, on the whole, is another Spielberg masterpiece.

Lincoln is a very good film. One of the best political/historical dramas I've seen. I went to see the film expecting to enjoy it, and I did enjoy it, even more than I thought I would. The second viewing was even better, as I was more able to understand the intricacies of the dialogue and plot. It has enough complexity to keep "bearing fruit" in multiple viewings, which I see as a mark of a very good film. At first I wanted to protest the title, because it focuses only on the one-month work of passing the 13th amendment. The book it is based on, "Team of Rivals" is a fantastic book, and covers MUCH more ground. However,the more I thought about it the more I saw that it is still a fitting title. I could see trying to film the whole book would have been a monstrosity. Better to do a small part well, than the whole poorly. The film presents the passage of the 13th amendment as the "crowning achievement" of Lincoln's presidency, and in a sense the fulfillment of his life purpose. Everything that went before leads up to and prepares for that accomplishment. The producers/director sought to capture the essence of Lincoln in a specific struggle of the hard, painful, and strange work of mixing ideology and politics. As others have written so well, the portrayal of the civil war period is engrossing. It is beautifully done, and so believable that it draws you into the world and you think you are interacting with real history in real places. I was thoroughly taken in with the portrayal of Lincoln's full humanity: his humility, simplicity, awkwardness, humor, pithiness, vision, love of family, and, surprising to me, his mostly controlled anger. Most significantly it displays his love of the American ideal that lies just beyond our reach, but beckons us to strive for it with all our might. I thought the film does a good job of portraying both Lincoln's strengths and weaknesses. Not only does it detail the criticisms of his deepest opponents, true to what so many people admire about Lincoln, it also shows Lincoln agreeing with his critics and giving even deeper self-criticism as he wrestles with the conflict of coming to "firmness in the right as God enables us to see the right." The stories, and the varied responses to his endless stories, seemed so true to what history tells us. I understand that much of the South despised him. It's impossible to be great without people despising it. But Lincoln's humble self-deprecation in standing firm on his principles, while pointing out the best in his opponents, must make it hard to be comfortable hating him. The acting was superb. Daniel Day-Lewis portrayed Lincoln as well as I can imagine it being done, which I thought would be exceedingly difficult because of Lincoln's iconic (actually "marble like") status. Tommy Lee Jones was very good. Ann Hathaway was good in Les Mis., but Sally Field was better in portraying the complex character of Mary Todd Lincoln, somehow bringing out the "insane" Mrs. Lincoln in the context of pride, love, devotion, and not quite enough tact. I'm not sure what to say about the soundtrack. It is a great soundtrack on its own, but plays very little role (too little?) in the film. Its clear that Spielberg did not want to overshadow Lincoln, because Lincoln does need much support, and Day-Lewis' performance is up to the task.

A star-studded cast has been gathered for this amazing picture from Shephen Spielberg. The time is January, 1865. President Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) has been re-elected and is awaiting inauguration. Lincoln wishes to add the 13th amendment to the Constitution which would abolish slavery. It is Lincoln's hope to pass the amendment before the inauguration. Acting on information from Secretary of State Seward (David Strathairn), Lincoln learns that he will need 20 Democratic votes to pass the amendment. Lincoln and Seward target several lame-duck congressmen who will be out of office in the hopes of gaining their vote for the amendment. Meanwhile, Lincoln's wife Mary (Sally Field) is still mourning the death of son Willie. To make matters even more difficult for her, her son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) wants to enlist in the army. This is almost too much for Mary to handle. The action in Congress continues to boil as the vote draws near. Plus, the bloody Civil War rages on. A delegation has been sent from the Confederacy to Washington to meet with Lincoln to see if a peace settlement could be arranged. But this delegation could threaten the congressional vote on the 13th amendment. I'm a big fan of American history, and I found "Lincoln" to be compelling and dramatic. Spielberg has done a masterful job of assembling a fine cast of actors. Daniel Day-Lewis was the perfect choice for Lincoln, and Sally Field does an equally impressive job as Mary Todd Lincoln. Of course, I can't forget Tommy Lee Jones as the racial-equality congressman Thaddeus Stevens. I thought the movie was historically accurate, and I'm glad Spielberg chose to focus on the last 4 months of Lincoln's time in office. It was interesting for me to see the battle over passage of the 13th amendment and how some of the political manuvering took place. I give "Lincoln" my highest recommendation. Daniel Day-Lewis is excellent and the story is historically correct. Don't miss this fine film about the final four months of our 16th President.

Is LINCOLN Steven Spielberg's finest achievement? Let's just say there's a lot of competition. Yet the awards, the acclaim, the accolades, the audience reception of this remarkable film speak for themselves. Telling the story of the last four months of our 16th President's life, LINCOLN focuses on the passage of the 13th Amendment--the abolishment of slavery. The Civil War is winding down; Lincoln, fearful that his Emancipation Proclamation which declared the slaves war contraband would be struck down by the courts, takes on a sense of urgency to pass the amendment in the month of January, during a lame duck Congress. With a slim Republican majority, the president is going to need some Democrats to join the Republicans; fortunately, there are 64 lame duck Democrats--who just might be looking for patronage jobs come March. Secretary of State William Seward (David Strathairn), the president's right hand man, recruits three self-proclaimed "scoundrels" (James Spader, John Hawkes, Tim Blake Nelson) to approach these Democrats in an effort to "buy" them off. The machinations of this sausage making is fascinating, and as a Confederate delegation reaches General Grant (Jared Harris) to discuss a cessation of hostilities, the story becomes more layered and compelling. We all know from history the amendment passes--narrowly--and LINCOLN then focuses on the ending of the brutal war--and the tragic ending of the president's life. Daniel Day-Lewis is an extraordinary actor, and here he gives a spellbinding performance as the tall, slender, introverted, brooding, careworn Commander-in-Chief. Yet the actor conveys another layer to this complex man; Lincoln might have the weight of the world on his shoulders, but his wit was always razor sharp, and he could relate a plethora of stories at the drop of a hat. Day-Lewis makes this film work, and work exceedingly well. The entire cast is stellar, but in particular I was most impressed by Tommy Lee Jones (fierce abolitionist Congressman Thaddeus Stevens), Sally Field (a shrill, feisty Mary Todd Lincoln), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (eldest child Robert Lincoln, who desperately wants to get in the fight), James Spader as referenced above, Bruce McGill (fiery Secretary of War Edwin Stanton), and Jared Harris as General Grant in what was comparably a very small role. Numerous actors have relatively brief roles as Congressmen or telegraph operators or staffers, yet everyone meshes in elegant believability. This Blu-Ray edition offers several bonus features; all of them are very good. From interviews with Spielberg, the cast, and the production crew, to showing us how the film was shot in Richmond, Virginia, to behind-the-scenes looks at sets, costumes, props, and musical scoring, it's all material that enhances the viewing experience. Spielberg has made several remarkable films. There would be no objection from this reviewer to make the argument that LINCOLN is this filmmaker's very best. --D. Mikels, Esq.

D.D. Lewis is a fantastic actor,he can play anyone,he's amazing.

I was surprised to see some professional critics remark that the film was nothing but a dry historical lesson. When I went to the theater, I found myself fully immersed in the film for all of its 150 minutes. Like any great movie, it tells a story very much worth telling in a fashion that's completely absorbing and gripping even if we know the outcome. Daniel Day-Lewis' performance is as terrific and deserving of all the awards he won for the part. He creates a performance that feels so lived in and real that he completely embodies our 16th President for all of the film's running time. His Lincoln is a sort mischievous storyteller who has both a folksy charm and a commanding presence, and it's easy to see why the nation loved him. Supporting performances are equally strong, and include Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, Tommy Lee Jones as abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, David Strathairn as Lincoln's secretary of state, and Joseph Gordon Levitt as Robert Todd Lincoln. The cast is filled with one remarkable performer after another. Scene stealers include Lee Pace, Michael Stuhlbarg, Walton Goggins, and of course, James Spader who creates a remarkably funny character. Spielberg doesn't get enough credit for his masterful direction and Tony Kushner's screenplay is a fascinatingly well constructed work. I could go on discussing the wonderful jobs by all of the film's crew but I won't. Needless to say, each of the film's 12 Academy Award nominations were well deserved and the film deserved more wins that it had on Oscar night. The Blu-ray looks amazing, as should any recent production. Janusz Kaminski's cinematography is perfectly replicated on this Blu-ray disc which is sharp, detailed, and very film-like. The film's soundtrack is equally well replicated in 7.1-channel DTS-HD Master Audio. As you can probably tell, I loved the film enough to spring for the pricier 4-disc edition which includes a bonus disc of special features. In total, they run about 80-minutes. As always, the supplements on Spielberg's films are well produced, but I was disappointed there wasn't more. For a film dealing with such great historical significance and what I imagine was a huge production, the extras could and probably should've gone on for another two hours. They could have explored the real life Lincoln and passing of the 13th Amendment, and taken a more detailed approach to documenting the film's production. But what we get is great stuff and worth the purchase for fans of the film. In summation, an excellent film. One of the very finest of 2012 and an excellent Blu-ray.

What a gift to be honored with a glimpse into the life of Abraham Lincoln, one of America's most revered leaders, and rightly so. Some may argue that this movie is hagiography and a white wash, but IMHO, no way! The burden of proof falls on the naysayers. Don't get me wrong, "Lincoln" is not perfect. There is the goof up on the 13th Amendment vote (for the abolition of slavery in the U.S. and territories) in the U.S. House of Representatives by the Connecticut delegation. The movie says two "no" votes and the historical record says none. All of CT's representatives voted "yes," as clarified by CT's 2nd District congressman Joe Courtney. Yes, I believe this movie got it right by portraying Lincoln as extremely likable, even lovable. True, his enemies hated and reviled him, mainly perhaps because his humble openness reflected their mean-spirited selfishness and bigotry back on them. Lincoln was often a man of his times, as betrayed by some of his opinions regarding African Americans, but he also could transcend those times. I've often wondered if someone as backwoodsy as Lincoln could ever get elected today, kind of like someone from "Duck Dynasty" being elected president in 2016. Now I am convinced that yes, he could -- and would. "Honest Abe" would stand out even more so today than he did 150 years ago, and his homespun humor and storytelling would resonate in the 21st century. Add to that Lincoln's warmth and empathy, and you have someone who truly "belongs to the ages." Day-Lewis' Lincoln seemed very realistic. Here we see a man who would swear and pound his fist when angry, but who also showed that greatness of soul forged in the crucible of war. Before seeing "Lincoln," I wondered if Sally Field was too old to play Lincoln's wife Mary. After seeing it, I realized that both Lincoln and his wife had become prematurely old by 1865. As General Grant observed in the film, Lincoln aged ten years between 1864 and 1865. The last photographs of Lincoln bear this out. Tragedy ages a person who really cares for others. Regarding the importance of the slavery issue, again I feel this movie got it right. Slavery wasn't everything, but it was the main thing. The states' rights dispute was based on economics, and the Confederate economy thrived on cheap and always accessible labor. Doing away with slavery would force an unwanted paradigm shift down the South's throat. Today, slavery is unthinkable, but then it was not. The movie "Lincoln" helps us to understand that a little better. All in all, a great movie with several minor flaws, none of which threaten a five star rating. In addition to Sally Field's fine effort and Tommy Lee Jones' portrayal of Thaddeus Stevens, David Strathairn was brilliant as Secretary of State William H. Seward, a wannabe co-president who helped sharpen Lincoln as only another iron will could do. With that said, I am at a loss as to why "Lincoln," after twelve Academy Award nominations, received only two Oscars. Fr. Dennis

Unsurpassed film director, Steven Spielberg, produced another superb film, LINCOLN, which covers the last four months of President Abraham Lincoln's earthly life and is based on credible presidential historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, TEAM OF RIVALS: THE POLITICAL GENIUS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, which she researched for ten years. Based on my main interest of study, Abraham Lincoln, for a minimum of 46 years, I was uncommonly happy that this accurate docudrama informs audiences of the abundance of effort Lincoln continuously exerted to permanently outlaw slavery throughout the entire United States of America, the passage of the 13th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution which was under the control of the then Congressmen. To most people, Lincoln is mostly remembered for his issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, but the bulk of his efforts to smash slavery is not generally known. This film also truly portrays Lincoln's exhaustion, partially by the strategic lighting of Lincoln's face periodically throughout the film. An exceptionally moving scene in the film is when Lincoln, splendidly portrayed by actor Daniel Day-Lewis, exits a room where he had been conversing business with a few other people, to leave for the theatre where he was fatally shot. An African American White House staff member stands stationary with a facial expression of admiration for the man who tirelessly worked to free around 4 million people of this man's Black race, a goal recently reached, just watching Lincoln as Lincoln plods down a hallway, away from the scene, which turned out to be the last time this man saw Lincoln in this world. After Lincoln's demise, the film's artistic last scene is of Lincoln delivering the last several words of his Second Inaugural Address which has been nicknamed Lincoln's "Malice Towards None" speech which occurred nearly 6 weeks prior to Lincoln's death in this world. Many of the characters included in the film are very recognizable, professionally played by various actors/actresses. Although I am minimally wondrous that the average viewer is rather uninformed about the context and details of that time period which may slightly hinder these viewers' ability to follow the film's content, viewers can easily enough grasp the overall themes of the film -- the Civil War's carnage and the energy of many, largely of Lincoln, to end U. S. slavery forever. Even though this film does not contain an abundance of action as many present films incorporate, this film is sprinkled with humor throughout. I recommend that people see this important film, LINCOLN.

Great movie and always good to own a physical copy these days

Poderia ter vindo com legendas em português.

Consigliatissimo! prodotto arrivato in tempo e in ottime condizioni

Super film avec de bons acteurs!

さすがはスピルバーグ監督作品。 歴史上の人物を見事にエンターテインメントに仕立てあげている。 天晴れだなぁ。