Lincoln (2012)★ 7.3/10

If you don't know much about American politics and history, you probably won't be able to enjoy this film. It's basically all dialogue and a lot of idealism, with no plot or suspense. Personally, I really liked it!

To me, Steven Spielberg’s style has always been just trying too hard.

Even though the movie is about patriotism, Steven Spielberg avoids the usual approach of trying to invoke strong emotions in his audience. He doesn't rely on music or flashy editing to force an emotional punch. Instead, he keeps the drama low-key, presenting history in a more raw and straightforward way. The production quality is excellent, and the performances are definitely Oscar-worthy.

Honestly, it’s all about Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance, especially with all those long dialogue scenes. It feels like Steven Spielberg’s been in the same gear since War Horse—great visuals, solid soundtrack, good acting... but the story falls flat.

I have mixed feelings about this film. The beginning part is a bit hard for me to grasp. However, by the time Lincoln decided to delay his proclamation and when the negotiations started, I was completely moved by the kind of spirit Spielberg was trying to convey. Tommy Lee Jones is just as incredible as Daniel Day-Lewis. Spielberg's sincerity and respect for the subject matter are evident in his serious yet artistic approach to the film, rather than making it a commercial product. However, we cannot ignore the fact that he is obviously going for awards with this film.

The film picked a good way to depict its subject matter, by avoiding the so-called "climax" and excessive drama. Spielberg rarely shows restraints like this, although some parts could have been tuned down even more. I have grown to reject the use of grand orchestral music composed by John Williams in movies. Overall, for a film driven by dialogue, the ensemble cast truly shines and delivers outstanding performances.

It is indeed an achievement of Spielberg to make such an engaging film that runs for 150 minutes, out of such a serious, patriotic, and political topic filled with legal concepts, complex characters, and intensive historical information. Of course, Daniel Day-Lewis absolutely nailed his performance as well. Nonetheless, the film picked a safe and conservative route in depicting Lincoln. They put in their best effort within this pre-defined boundary.

The dialogue is brilliantly written with a subtle Shakespearean touch. The plot is solid and concise without any exaggerations for the sake of entertainment. Spielberg truthfully reconstructed a period in time filled with struggles, complicated relationships, and destructions of war, without many close-up shots of Lincoln's character. Daniel Day-Lewis's performance is spectacular - soft-spoken yet powerful, despite the torment he was experiencing inside. The outburst of his immense energy on the eve of the election is truly astonishing. 9 out of 10.

A prime example of American "academic" film. The film is absolutely top-notch in both technical aspects and the performance of the cast. Despite being an American patriotic film, Spielberg avoided taking the usual sentimental approach. Not only did he not rely on music and editing to deliver the impact, he further tuned down on the drama as much as possible in order to present the history more truthfully. As a result, the Thirteenth Amendment, the Civil War, the Gettysburg Address, and the assassination have all been portrayed with historical accuracy.

Actually, the core of the film lies not in the biographical aspects, but in the unfolding of the events that led to the Thirteenth Amendment. The film has a huge cast, but the execution follows a very conventional format. Spielberg doesn't play around with flashy tricks in his films. There's a lot of information to take in at the beginning of the film, but you will soon be engrossed in the plot. For the sake of a just cause, one can resort to despicable tactics, and that's what politics is all about. As an event that carries a huge significance in the history of American democracy, the unraveling of it is incredibly thrilling.

Well, if you're not familiar with American politics and history, it might be difficult to appreciate this film. It might be hard to understand the compromises, the struggles, and the pain of the idealists. It's a film without much of a "plot", as it relies solely on dialogue, acting, and idealism itself to deliver its goals. And I freaking love it.