Lincoln Movie - Your Reviews

[Mark MacKenzie]

Thank you, Roger and Good Morning to you!

I think I like Stanton the more I read about him. He did have an unnatural or irrational fear of death I've read. I think he was one of those who "came around" to Lincoln.

The phrase is such poetry from a man of war. I'll repeat your link http://www.alplm.org/blog/2010/08/a-phra...-the-ages/ because it is so good, particularly in looking at the study of history and the importance of first hand "hearsay" versus historic conjecture.

He was very well portrayed in the movie.

[Laurie Verge]

Roger - I like your new avatar of the Lincoln Cottage (or the Anderson Cottage as the Lincolns would have known it).

[RJNorton]

Thanks, Laurie. That is their Holiday card from 2011. I made it into an avatar.

And speaking of President Lincoln's Cottage, the good folks there have recently introduced their 2013 Ornament, the third in the Sesquicentennial Series, commemorating Lincoln's Presidential Guard at the Soldiers' Home.

[Mark MacKenzie]

As Chief Justice, Chase held the Bible while Lincoln was sworn for the second term. Now there's justice.

[Linda Anderson]

Dr. McPherson was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times about Lincoln.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/mov...0831.story

[ReignetteC]

(12-06-2012 10:14 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  Dr. McPherson was interviewed by the Los Angeles Times about Lincoln.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/mov...0831.story

Thanks for the link to Professor McPherson's interview. Glad he noted the following:

"Lincoln rarely if ever used profanity, and some of the dialogue calls for him to do that. I thought that was a bit jarring.

"The opening scene where he's basically out on the street talking to soldiers is probably pretty fictional.

"Although I'll tell you one thing that bothered me — I thought it was out of character when Lincoln slapped Robert."

[Linda Anderson]

Yes, it's really interesting to read what Dr. McPherson has to say. He also wasn't too thrilled about the scene where Mary confronts the congressmen at the White House reception. It must have been difficult for Tony Kushner to fit Mary into the screenplay!

The screenplay for Lincoln will be published in book form in January 2013.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/art...8705.story

[Jennie]

(11-20-2012 09:58 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 08:18 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.

[Donna McCreary]

Since some of you have mentioned mistakes and goofs in the film LINCOLN, I have a topic for discussion - the wardrobe of Sally Field as Mary Lincoln.
I have read interviews and watched video interviews with the costume designer, Joanna Johnston. She explained how she based one of the dresses on two of ML's dresses - used ML's actual gowns as inspiration - and actually made the gowns to fit ML's body thus Sally Field had to gain weight to fit the dresses. The result was a collection of beautiful gowns. There are a few historical mistakes, but none that the average audience member would notice.
There is one huge historical mistake with all of the gowns. During the time frame for the film, Mary Lincoln was in mourning. Mary's brother Levi died in October 1864, and her uncle John Todd died in January 1865. Both of these relationships would have placed Mary in a state of half-mourning. Her attire would have consisted solely of black and white with perhaps a touch of dark purple toward the end of March.

So, Ms. Johnston had to make a choice -- either depict Mary in mourning and be historically accurate . . . or, create gowns that would showcase Mary's grand sense of fashion.

Do you agree, or disagree, with the choice?

[Jennie]

What did you all think of the atmosphere - the way the White House was portrayed? The scene at the end of the men running up to get Lincoln's answer and the WH is deserted and they just run in the front door - definitely not the modern WH! Or Lincoln, when inside, usually with extra shawls/blankets? I also noticed Lincoln seemed half asleep a lot of the time - you can really see the stress in him, which I thought was an excellent acting job by Daniel Day-Lewis.

-Jennie

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(12-06-2012 11:24 PM)Donna McCreary Wrote:  Since some of you have mentioned mistakes and goofs in the film LINCOLN, I have a topic for discussion - the wardrobe of Sally Field as Mary Lincoln.
I have read interviews and watched video interviews with the costume designer, Joanna Johnston. She explained how she based one of the dresses on two of ML's dresses - used ML's actual gowns as inspiration - and actually made the gowns to fit ML's body thus Sally Field had to gain weight to fit the dresses. The result was a collection of beautiful gowns. There are a few historical mistakes, but none that the average audience member would notice.
There is one huge historical mistake with all of the gowns. During the time frame for the film, Mary Lincoln was in mourning. Mary's brother Levi died in October 1864, and her uncle John Todd died in January 1865. Both of these relationships would have placed Mary in a state of half-mourning. Her attire would have consisted solely of black and white with perhaps a touch of dark purple toward the end of March.

So, Ms. Johnston had to make a choice -- either depict Mary in mourning and be historically accurate . . . or, create gowns that would showcase Mary's grand sense of fashion.

Do you agree, or disagree, with the choice?

Personally, I think she made the right decision. Most people won't know she was supposed to be in mourning (or would have gotten it had she been...if anything they would have figured it was for Willie), so I think going for the fashion statement, which was a major part of Mary L was more important.

The way Mary's moods flunctated so much, I thought was a great decision as it really showed how on the edge she was.

-Jennie

[Linda Anderson]

(12-06-2012 11:25 PM)Jennie Wrote:  Personally, I think she made the right decision. Most people won't know she was supposed to be in mourning (or would have gotten it had she been...if anything they would have figured it was for Willie), so I think going for the fashion statement, which was a major part of Mary L was more important.

The way Mary's moods flunctated so much, I thought was a great decision as it really showed how on the edge she was.

-Jennie

I agree with Jennie.

[RJNorton]

Jennie, just a note to say thank you for your positive words on your wonderful American Presidents Blog.

[Laurie Verge]

I agree with Jennie also that the average movie goer would not understand the Victorian obsession with maintaing proper mourning. Mary's love of fashion was part of her personna - and something that modern audiences can relate to. Having not yet seen the film, did they even mention the series of deaths of farmily members that occurred which would cause her mourning?

On a personal note, the observance of mourning was much more pronounced when I was a child than it is today - not like what the Victorians did, but certainly not as casual as today's standards. I doubt that anyone under age 60 today would remember the old symbolism of mourning.

[LincolnMan]

We don't even pull over to the side of the road anymore when a funeral procession passes by.

[Linda Anderson]

People would dress up in dark clothing. Now anything goes. We also couldn't watch TV for a few days after my grandparents died.