Lincoln as a movie and a narrative about the circumstances surrounding the passing of the 13th amendment has some problems with the script that defy reality. Spielberg has made some errors as a director in including material that is really superfluous, ridiculous and detracts from the powerful tale. Lincoln is a good movie not a great movie but Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance is extraordinary, a remarkable portrayal of this giant of history.

Useless scenes that detract from the story:

Lincoln and his wife return from the theatre to the White House. Lincoln’s wife is accompanied most of the time by a black women who appears to be her companion. In this particular incident the black woman stops on the porch, turns to Lincoln and starts to have a conversation with him in which we are to understand how she views her role as an American at that time. Even in this day and age this level of familiarity between house help and the President of the United States much less a woman would not be believable. The whole scene was a tedious waste of time and did not propel the story forward at all.

Other scenes of equal unimportance include numerous scenes where Lincoln’s wife (Sally Field) is left wallowing in misery over a dead child, a son who might go to war, her non existent importance in the White House and a relationship as Lincoln’s wife that has been painful, pitiable and destructive. We understand this character clearly from the outset and do not need her shortcomings drilled into our minds endlessly.

Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones) is one of Lincoln’s greatest supporters and devoted to establishing as law “all men are equal”. His entire story is totally believable until he asks for and is given the freshly written 13th Amendment from the hands of the clerk of the White House committee. He then takes this home (a highly unlikely event) and shares it in bed with his black mistress of many years, wig off, night dress on. Just a huge diminishment of the man and something lacking any passion at all despite it being a scene carefully crafted to do just that.

Lincoln’s death is a boring series of scenes that were unnecessary to include. We all know about Lincoln’s murder and it really had little to do with the main story of the 13th amendment and the American Civil War. It was dispassionately foretold and revealed and added to the long, slow pace of the movie. Once Lincoln was off the scene our rapture with the movie dipped several notches. Lincoln is a good movie not a great movie. Only the superlative performance from Daniel Day-Lewis will keep you in your seat.

-Moira Romano