I remember Straitharn leaning into Daniel D's ear after Elizabeth Marvel & her husband explained why they wouldn't be against ending slavery (unless it was necessary for winning the war) and saying archly, "The pee-pul."
Such a great movie. (Should've ended when he walked away without his gloves.)
I dunno. I felt like everyone other than Daniel Day was "ACTING" in that movie. "Grand themes" and all that. Lots of people functioning as Greek choruses. Whereas DDL simply *was*.
Oh, and Spader, he was also operating near DDL's level. He was terrific.
I adore that movie and everyone in it. DDL was BRILLIANT, but so were Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field, amongst others. I’ve seen it several times now…it’s one of my all time favorites
The monologue he gives at about 25 minutes about the necessity of the 13th Amendment and the tenuous postwar prospects of the Emancipation Proclamation is one of the sharpest insights into the two-(three, really) level game he (and Grant) had to manage and it gets so overlooked. Love it!
I did this a couple nights ago. Truly a masterpiece. One of Spielberg's best. So. Many. GUYS. You should do a bonus pod on this for fun. I'd finally spring for the patreon if you did.
Been thinking about that movie a lot lately. It sort of captures how I think about politics, about how the messiness and back room dealing can sometimes yield something wholly good. I always love Spielberg waxing poetic on these small ‘d’ democratic values (see also: “Bridge of Spies”)
Lincoln's lecture about the compass in that scene was SO Lincoln.
I don't know if that was drawn from anything he actually did write or say; but man it feels authentic.
If you haven't seen it, he's fantastic in "Eight Men Out"--a film about the Chicago White Six throwing the World Series at the beginning of the last century.
I love the scene where Grant throws cold water on the peace commissioners. For some reason Infond myself watching that scene over and over again. I would really like to see Spielberg direct a Grant film starring Jared Harris. https://youtu.be/ZSS5SscrLoU
Comments
Such a great movie. (Should've ended when he walked away without his gloves.)
Oh, and Spader, he was also operating near DDL's level. He was terrific.
To the extent they were functioning as a chorus, that's the point of the chorus: to help clarify the protagonist.
The monologue he gives at about 25 minutes about the necessity of the 13th Amendment and the tenuous postwar prospects of the Emancipation Proclamation is one of the sharpest insights into the two-(three, really) level game he (and Grant) had to manage and it gets so overlooked. Love it!
so damn good
The only one working near the same stratosphere as DDL.
I don't know if that was drawn from anything he actually did write or say; but man it feels authentic.
Also loved how Spielberg thought it showed an example of what our politics should return to when half the movie was straight up bribery.
"Lincoln @ Gettysburg," narrated by David Stratharin, is also very good. His reading of the Gettysburg Address is superb.
I had asked the filmmakers if they happened to have Stratharin's reading in one take.
It was available on Amazon Prime for streaming but not right now. https://www.pbs.org/show/lincoln-gettysburg/