Lincoln Movie - Your Reviews

[Jennie]

(11-20-2012 10:58 AM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  SPOILER ALERT

I was disappointed that Spielberg did not show the assassination scene because it is part of the story. I don't think it matters that it's been done before; it's what happened. When they showed the theater at the end, I thought, wait a minute, they have swords, that's not Our American Cousin. Then they panned to the box and I thought, wait a minute, that's on the wrong side of the theater. It felt like we were being deliberately mislead.

We watched Lincoln the man throughout the movie. We saw horrible battlefield scenes and it would have been moving and appropriate to see Lincoln killed just as the soldiers were. Maybe seeing Lincoln and Mary from behind, hearing her say as she rests her hand on his arm, "What will Miss Harris think of my hanging on to you so?" and hearing his reply that "She won't think anything about it." Then a hand with the gun, the shot, Mary's scream.

My husband thought that the last scene should have been Lincoln walking away down the long hall.

Did anyone mention that Seward had been targeted that night as well? I may have missed it.

As I said on the other thread, the movie was wonderful. Did anyone else feel disappointed in the ending?

I have to say I agree with your husband - I think that would have been a good closing scene!

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(11-27-2012 09:18 AM)LincolnMan Wrote:  On Point #2 regarding the movie showing the white and black soldiers meeting with Lincoln. I too felt it was contrived and probably not realistic. I've been thinking about Spielberg's intention for this scene. I would love to hear what everyone else thinks. The scene happens at the beginning of the film but not the very beginning. First there is that horrific battle scene. Perhaps, Spielberg wants the viewer to know that Lincoln-who is literally seated between the two groups-was the reason that such a meeting could take place-whites and blacks both wearing the same uniform-fighting on the same side.and to go further-the president was such that he would meet with the "common" soldier no matter who it was. He valued everyone's opinions. Also, there is the matter of the soldiers reciting the Gettysburg Address-perhaps to convey to the viewer that the notions expressed in it were a unifying point for the soldiers-black or white-whether it was to declare again that "all men were created €qual" or to understand that the war was worth fighting for because it was a test to see if democracy would survive. Your thoughts?

The beginning was horrific, but I also think important as history too often romanticizes the Civil War and it is good to see realism.

I did also think that was a strange moment in the movie. It didn't really go with anything, it was like he wanted to get the Gettysburg Address in there and that was how he did it.