History knows many statesmen who have become the victims of their own political activities, the victims of power. Abraham Lincoln is one of them. There are a lot of movies which attempt to show President Lincoln and the story of his life and work. Such movies as Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) and Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940) deserve attention, however, Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (2012) starring Daniel Day-Lewis is a masterpiece. This movie is positioned as a one for people and about people. It is a model of American democracy even though the movie shows dirty side of political life. Lincoln is a good demonstration of the fact that morality and politics are two uncombined issues. One of the main focuses of the movie is the process of adoption of the 13th Amendment of the Constitution devoted to the abolishment of slavery. Even though the methods used while the process do not always deserve pride, the entire adoption process is a good example of successful political technique of the early American democracy. The movie is based on the book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
Speaking of the role of the President in the movie, it should be stated that the director managed to show Lincoln as he is seen by the American people, a person who managed to realize American dream. Originated from a poor family, Lincoln worked hard to achieve prosperity, wealthy and power. The background action in the movie is a Civil War. It is obligatory for Lincoln to sign up the Amendment up to the end of the Civil War in order to make sure that already freed slaved are not going to be enslaved one more time. A film director seems to create a parallel between a struggle for voices in congress and a struggle at the battlefields. Each time the discussion is shown in the parliament, each remembers the episodes from the battlefields and vice versa. All the events in the movie are interconnected. Steven Spielberg has always been a master of movies creation and he has proven it one more time.
One more particular side of the movie is about Vampires. The theme of Vampires has become interesting for people recently, but Lincoln is not about love and other tender relationships. It is not about revenge or other emotions. Fighting with Vampires, Lincoln wants to protect his family, he tries to make sure that he and those who he loves are going to be safe. This particular desire to make the country safe for its citizens is delivered in the politics.
Speaking about the perceptional side of the film, it should be stated that from the very beginning and up to the final scene a viewer is excited and impressed. The emotions in the movie are delivered to the audience and it is impossible to remain careless to the situation. Loud announcements, happy victories and painful defeats, all this spectrum of emotions are guaranteed. The main idea of the movie is not only to show how the Amendment was adopted, but to underline one more time how hard and painful a way to the real democracy was, how difficult it was to insure everybody that slavery abolishment was necessary. The first steps on the way to American democracy are presented and this is a real value of the movie.