1
Film Critique: Lincoln
For someone who does not find nearly as much enjoyment in watching movies of any
sort as most people do, I found this one to be truly inspiring. After watching Lincoln (played by
Daniel Day-Lewis and directed by Steven Spielberg), I can sincerely recommend watching it to
anyone looking for realism in the Presidential Office during the American Civil War, and during
Abraham Lincoln’s struggle to ratify the 13th Constitutional Amendment to abolish slavery in
America. The film provides a very moving and powerful experience from the perspective of
Lincoln himself and how he balanced his legality, morality, and intense grief brought upon him
by the relentless bloodshed in the country over whether or not someone with a different colored
skin should have the same rights as someone with white skin.
This film, as stated in the description, is an, “… inspiring and revealing drama that
focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous and final four months in office as a visionary leader
who pursues a course of action to end the Civil War, unite the country, and abolish slavery.” The
audience follows Abraham Lincoln (Day-Lewis) through his struggles in order to sway both the
Republican and Democratic parties in his favor. In doing so, Lincoln hopes this favor will help
him pass the 13th Amendment through the House of Representatives, ratify it to the Constitution,
and put an end the Civil War. In order to do this, the film shows how Lincoln had to assume
great power from the Constitution, do things that no president has ever done before, and seek for
the aid of what could be seen as a misdemeanor in law just in order to succeed.
One of the biggest allies Lincoln finds while doing this is a Political Activist named W.
N. Bilbo (Spader). Throughout the movie, Bilbo is seen persuading any members of the
Democratic party he can in order to support Lincoln’s Amendment in any way possible. These
persuasions result in very questionable results that places the president into an unlawful position
Film Critique: Lincoln
For someone who does not find nearly as much enjoyment in watching movies of any
sort as most people do, I found this one to be truly inspiring. After watching Lincoln (played by
Daniel Day-Lewis and directed by Steven Spielberg), I can sincerely recommend watching it to
anyone looking for realism in the Presidential Office during the American Civil War, and during
Abraham Lincoln’s struggle to ratify the 13th Constitutional Amendment to abolish slavery in
America. The film provides a very moving and powerful experience from the perspective of
Lincoln himself and how he balanced his legality, morality, and intense grief brought upon him
by the relentless bloodshed in the country over whether or not someone with a different colored
skin should have the same rights as someone with white skin.
This film, as stated in the description, is an, “… inspiring and revealing drama that
focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous and final four months in office as a visionary leader
who pursues a course of action to end the Civil War, unite the country, and abolish slavery.” The
audience follows Abraham Lincoln (Day-Lewis) through his struggles in order to sway both the
Republican and Democratic parties in his favor. In doing so, Lincoln hopes this favor will help
him pass the 13th Amendment through the House of Representatives, ratify it to the Constitution,
and put an end the Civil War. In order to do this, the film shows how Lincoln had to assume
great power from the Constitution, do things that no president has ever done before, and seek for
the aid of what could be seen as a misdemeanor in law just in order to succeed.
One of the biggest allies Lincoln finds while doing this is a Political Activist named W.
N. Bilbo (Spader). Throughout the movie, Bilbo is seen persuading any members of the
Democratic party he can in order to support Lincoln’s Amendment in any way possible. These
persuasions result in very questionable results that places the president into an unlawful position
